


I'll Love You Until You Hate Me

by 69fastback



Category: Arrow (TV 2012), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Love/Hate, Passionate, Slow Burn Romance, SnowBarry - Freeform, olicity - Freeform, quarterback!Oliver
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-26
Updated: 2015-09-01
Packaged: 2018-03-25 22:52:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 45,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3827950
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/69fastback/pseuds/69fastback
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Felicity was content to go through high school with only a few people acknowledging her existence. She didn't care for popularity and fake friends. However when Oliver Queen and Tommy Merlyn mess with her best friend, suddenly she's forced in to the spotlight as her and Caitlin take on the richest and most popular boys in school. With two arrogant playboys and two hot-headed intelligent young girls, no one is entirely sure who is going to end up on top. One thing is certain though, no one is getting out of this one unscathed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. I'll Break You

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoy this High School AU. I've always loved these AUs and I thought I'd create my own seeing as I love them so much. Word of warning it's going to be a bit of a rollercoaster for both the main relationships (Olicity and Snowbarry) with broken hearts, betrayal, despair etc. There will be mentions of other ships but they're not my main focus for this story. I won't say too much but I'm excited for this one!

Felicity was a patient person. Always had been. There was one person who tested that patience. His name was Oliver Queen. God, even his name pissed her off royally. 

Of course, he had no idea who she was. The popular rich boy running around leaving broken hearts in his wake. She would never fall for his false charm. Hello, genius. She knew what wasn't good for her. 

However he had broken her friend's. Like her, Caitlin was content to be non-existent throughout high school. Oliver Queen hadn't agreed. He'd pawned her for his best friend Tommy Merlyn. Long story short, her heart had ended up shattered on the floor. 

Caitlin had taken a week off school after everything that had gone down and today was her first day back. There was no way in hell Felicity was letting Oliver Queen or Tommy Merlyn make it any worse for her best friend. At this rate, she'd stab one of them in the eye with her favourite red pen if that was what it took. 

Speaking of, she spied the two dumbasses heading towards her and Caitlin as they leant against their lockers chatting, waiting for class to start. She was about to cause a diversion to steer Caitlin away from them before her best friend noticed, but she was too late. Caitlin's body had tensed beside her and she didn't need to look to know she was already putting on her 'Ice Queen' mask to hide her despair. 

Caitlin had made a decision to cut off her feelings with men. She'd created her Ice Queen mask in Felicity's room last Wednesday night and it suited her. It made her look strong and unbreakable. Felicity glanced at her best friend and couldn't help but feel pride at the fierce expression she was sporting. Ice Queen Caitlin was tough as shit. 

When Felicity turned back to see where the two assholes were now, she came face to face with Oliver Queen himself.

"Fuck off." She spat. She didn't even give him a chance to do or say anything before she stepped forwards and faced off with him. Yeah, so she was a lot smaller than him, but she didn't need to be taller than him to intimidate the poor little rich boy.

"Well, I guess I should've expected that." He sighed, trying to pull one over on Felicity and act like he felt guilty about what he'd done to Caitlin. She narrowed her eyes at his fake sympathy and he immediately dropped his act, knowing she wasn't falling for it. 

"Leave. Now." The words were forced out of her mouth past gritted teeth. 

"Last time I checked, you didn't tell me what to do." Oliver's arms folded over his chest and if Felicity weren't so angry, she might've noticed how his muscles flexed impressively when he did so.

"Last time I checked, you were in my personal space asshole. Get lost." Felicity's hands had balled in to fists and she completely forgot about Caitlin as she continued to argue with the richest boy in school.

"We need to talk to Caitlin. Back off." Queen stepped forwards. It was barely an inch of space he covered but Felicity knew exactly what he was doing. He was challenging her. He was going to be sorely mistaken if he thought she'd let off and let him get to Caitlin again.

"Why don't you ask daddy to buy a girl for you to play with and leave Caitlin alone. You've got enough money to find at least one pathetic girl who's willing to play your game." Felicity pushed at his chest half-heartedly and grimaced at how toned it felt beneath her palms. She wasn't one for violence so shoving Oliver Queen, no matter how much she hated him, wasn't something she was going to do. A light push to get her message across wouldn't hurt though.

Oliver's eyes lit up with fury and Tommy's arm reached out to try and calm him. Felicity smirked triumphantly. This guy's cage was too easy to rattle. He didn't respond well to her smugness and his lips pursed as he tried to reign in his anger. Felicity almost had an urge to laugh. Queen was fun to play with.

"Look, we came here to apologise." Tommy had stepped forwards, leaving a fuming Oliver behind him. Felicity found it somewhat amusing Tommy seemed to be seeking her approval to talk to Caitlin, like she was some sort of personal bodyguard. She might have thought it chivalrous if he wasn't, well, Tommy Merlyn.

"You really think you're worthy of her time?" Felicity's mouth screwed up in sadness and disgust. "You tried to ruin her. You don't get to apologise. You're done here." 

"Please-" Tommy began begging.

"Tommy." Both Tommy and Felicity's head snapped towards Caitlin.

"I want you- both of you" She said, glaring at Queen as well, "to look around. You see this? This is as good as it's ever going to get for you. So don't waste your time apologising to me when you don't mean it. Go out and have fun. I mean, there must be plenty more girls you want to use up and throw away before you leave here, right? Enjoy it while it lasts." She smiled bitterly.

To their credit, both boys' expressions faltered as she referred to their antics with girls as throwing rubbish away. And to Caitlin's credit, she didn't look mad. She didn't even look upset. She looked completely neutral and both Merlyn and Queen looked slightly concerned and confused as to how emotionless she looked about the whole thing. 

Felicity could see through it though. The look in her best friend's eye that told her she was barely keeping it together. The sooner she got the two of them to leave, the better.

"There you have it, now please leave." Felicity said, waving her hands trying to shoo them away. She was aware in that situation how much like her Gran she looked but she didn't care. 

"Caitlin, I'm sorry." Tommy said before walking off. 

Felicity turned back to her friend but she'd already took off in the opposite direction to the ladies' room. She knew that she'd be in there crying for the next half hour or so. Felicity didn't blame her. She'd be so broken if any guy had ever done what Oliver Queen and Tommy Merlyn did to her.

"I get that you hate me for what I did to your friend, but there was no need to be so bitchy." Oliver growled at Felicity.

"Maybe." Felicity agreed as she glared at him. She knew she'd taken it too far when she made the prostitute reference but she'd been so mad and it was the first time she'd ever had to chance to confront him about it. It wasn't her fault if all that pent up rage was unleashed on him. He shouldn't look like he was asking for it every time she saw him.

"You need to learn that people are breakable and if you've broken Caitlin, I'll break you." She promised him.

"Are you threatening me?" He asked, finding the tiny blonde in glasses highly amusing.

"No, but if it works for you go with it." She left him standing in the hall with a flip of her ponytail as she headed off to comfort Caitlin.

-

Felicity found Caitlin staring in the bathroom mirror blankly at her reflection. She had to let out a small sigh of relief. She hated seeing her friend cry and it was nice to see her without tears in her eyes for a change. However, Felicity didn't know whether or not to be concerned about the vacant expression she saw on Caitlin's features.

"You okay?" Felicity asked warily, inwardly cringing at her question. Of course she wasn't okay.

"I will be." Caitlin replied firmly. She was never the girl to lie about being okay. She told you how it was so you didn't expect anything more from her than what she had to give. Felicity had always admired that about her best friend. Sometimes it was hard to admit you weren't okay when that's all you wanted to be. Felicity didn't know if she could have said the same thing if the tables were turned.

"What you said, I think it really hit home. It was brave of you to do that." Felicity said softly offering a small smile in the mirror as she stood beside Caitlin.

"I had so much more to say though. It's killing me that there's still more they need to hear before I can feel like it's over. I barely survived the hallway, how am I going to stand there and face them properly?" Caitlin sighed helplessly. 

That's the one thing that she needed before she could carry on and pretend like nothing had ever happened. Closure. With boys like Merlyn and Queen though, no girl ever got closure and the two morons sure as hell didn't want to deal with having to give every single girl the closure they deserved. They were content to leave matters unattended, allowing them to fade away slowly so all those poor girls were left with were distant memories of more painful times. 

Felicity knew they'd try and brush it under the carpet now. They'd attempted an apology. A rather pathetic attempt if you asked her, but an attempt nonetheless. They'd shrug it off now thinking they'd done their part and move on to another target. Felicity knew Caitlin wouldn't let them get away with that and neither would she. Her best friend was her responsibility too and offending Caitlin meant you offended both of them. 

"Well for one, I'd be with you every step of the way. And two, we don't take shit from anybody. We never have and we're not going to start now. Let's just put on our game faces and take today as it comes, okay?" Felicity squeezed Caitlin's hand reassuringly before dragging her out of the ladies' room and heading for class. 

Today was going to test Felicity's patience to the max. She just knew it.

-

Lunch was interesting to say the least.

Caitlin and Felicity sat out in the sun with their lunch, enjoying the warmth the sun offered and gentle breeze caressing their hair. Their bliss was interrupted by one Barry Allen. 

Barry Allen's dad had re-married the one and only Moira Queen three years ago and unfortunately inherited Oliver Queen as a stepbrother. Of course, that meant he'd joined the football team. However he was scarily fast on the field and had proved a great addition. No one had expected that. He was after all a bit of a science geek before the Queen family. He was still that same loveable geek though, even with all the girls falling over themselves for him. Felicity had always liked Barry. Especially after he was the one who saved Caitlin from the humiliation she would've faced if Merlyn and Queen had taken their game with her any further.

"Caitlin?" Felicity watched as Caitlin smiled at Barry and rose to her feet to greet him.

"Hi Barry." She smiled slightly and Felicity knew better than anyone what that smile was. Caitlin so had a thing for him. Felicity smiled more to herself than anything and looked in to the distance trying to give them some privacy.

"Listen, I'm really sorry that I was the one who told you. I really hated seeing what they were doing to you and I wanted you to know." He shrugged and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. 

Caitlin hesitantly put a small hand on his arm. "I'm glad you did." 

"So, we're cool?" Barry asked.

"We're cool." Caitlin laughed lightly and nodded at him.

"Allen! Think fast!" A voice yelled and Felicity watched in horror at the football hurtling towards her best friend.

Barry's hand shot out amazingly fast and snagged the ball out of the air before it could do any damage. Felicity managed to breathe a sigh of relief before she was up and reaching for the ball still in Barry's hand.

"Give me that." She snapped, hoping Barry knew she was being snappy because of the dickhead who'd thrown the ball at her best friend. 

Barry handed over the ball absently as his now free hands reached for Caitlin, his brow furrowed with concern. 

"Hey, you okay?" He asked. Caitlin knew he wasn't asking if she was okay because of almost getting hit by a ball, he was asking if she was okay that some idiot from the football team still had it out for her. She bit her lip and nodded before stepping out of his grasp. Felicity knew her best friend hated guys seeing her even slightly vulnerable. 

Felicity squinted behind her glasses from force of habit and a very inhumane growl escaped her lips before she could stop it. Of course it was him who's thrown it. 

"Hey, give us the ball!" Queen shouted from across the field. Felicity could hear his taunting laughter from where she stood. "Don't throw like a girl!" He yelled obnoxiously.

Felicity smirked and she caught Caitlin's laugh out of the corner of her eye. 

"Hey, what are you guys laughing at?" Barry asked, sounding a little wary.

Neither one of the girls bothered to reply, Felicity just drew her arm back and aimed.

"What the...?" Barry's confused voice faded in to background noise. The football in her hand flew past her ear and was released in to the air. Felicity watched with satisfaction as it hit Queen square in the shoulder. Of course, he didn't budge and she doubted it hurt him, but the look of pure shock on his and everyone else's faces was enough.

When her anger had faded, Felicity wasn't sure what to do with all the gawping faces looking at her, so she quickly dusted off her hands before ducking back in to school and heading for the library. Her head was in her hands before she'd even managed to sit down at her favourite desk. Not only had she just hit Oliver Queen with a football, but she'd just made herself the talk of the school. Felicity groaned. So much for continuing high school with everyone blissfully unaware of her existence.


	2. Stay With Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ta-da! Really couldn't wait to post this so here you go! You'll see what Tommy and Oliver did to Caitlin in this one. It's pretty dark so I'll warn you in advance. Enjoy!

**A Week Before...**

_-_

_"Hey, it's Caitlin isn't it?" Caitlin turned round, mouth agape that the most popular guy in school knew who she was. She nodded slowly, obviously wary of what he wanted with her. He seemed to pick up on that and flashed a charming smile. Caitlin scrunched up her nose at that. As dazzling as it was, Oliver Queen himself didn't do anything for her. She knew better._

_Oliver sighed when he realised it wasn't working. "Look, I know you think I'm a dick but that's why I'm here. You're the nicest person at this school and Barry doesn't shut up about it. If anyone's good ways are going to rub off on me and Tommy, it's yours."_

_"Barry talks about me?" Caitlin asked, only allowing her mouth to twitch slightly upwards before her expression went back to neutral. She had to be careful around this guy. She knew the stories._

_"Yeah, all the time. It's kind of pathetic actually." Oliver rolls his eyes oblivious to the sparkle that appeared in Caitlin's eyes after that confession. "Look, that's not the point. I need your help with this one. The list of girls I've hurt bothers me. And I know it bothers Tommy as well, I just feel like having you on our side makes us feel better."_

_Caitlin scoffed. "The only thing that's going to make you feel better is apologising to the girls you've screwed over and receiving their forgiveness in return."_

_Oliver arched an eyebrow. "And how many girls do you think are going to forgive us?" Caitlin sighed and refused to reply. The answer was obviously none. However being the golden girl she was, Caitlin bit back any snide comments as to why that might be._

_"How many girls to do think you deserve to receive forgiveness from?" She asked instead, hoping that was a sufficient response._

_"Woah, don't go too deep on me Snow." As relaxed as he sounded, there was a tightness that crossed his features and that was enough for Caitlin. Oliver was capable of feeling the slightest twinge of guilt._

_Caitlin took a deep breath, pushing aside any thoughts of what Felicity would say when she found out. "Okay. I'll help you out."_

_"Excellent. Shall we start after school today?" Oliver's grin made Caitlin feel uneasy about her decision but she nodded quietly before walking off._

_She had no idea what the hell she was going to do after school with them but if it was Oliver, he'd have a plan. She didn't know where to start with the two lost causes that were Oliver Queen and Tommy Merlyn. She would help them, she thought, however hard it was going to be she'd make sure they became better people. She just hoped she hadn't set herself up for disaster._

_-_

_"What the hell were you thinking Cailtin?!" Felicity yelled._

_"I was thinking I could help them! Look, I don't like what they do to girls but if they're seeking out my help to stop doing that then I need to accept. I really think I could talk some sense into Queen and Merlyn, show them how wrong it is to treat girls the way they do. I couldn't live with myself if I didn't try and help out. So many more girls will end up hurt if I don't do this."_

_"What about you getting hurt Caitlin? I don't trust them! And why are you talking like you're in some fucking movie and reeling off about saving people from being hurt?" Felicity glared at her friend accusingly._

_"I- I didn't mean to-" Caitlin frowned, somewhat ashamed of her speech now Felicity had torn it apart._

_Felicity sighed, regretting her outburst. "No I didn't mean to go that far, I'm sorry. They just really push my buttons you know? And now they have my best friend in their grips- it's just hard for me to deal with."_

_"I get that. But I'm a genius remember? I'll be fine." Caitlin squeezed Felicity's arm reassuringly before walking over to Queen's car and sliding in to the passenger seat. Felicity flipped him off as he winked at her. The bastard wouldn't know what hit him if he hurt her best friend._

_Once they's sped off out of the car park, Felicity pulled out her phone and called the only other person she trusted her best friend with aside from herself._

_-_

_Barry decided to keep out of the little gathering between Caitlin, Tommy and Oliver in the impressively sized kitchen in the mansion. He didn't trust those two morons with her but he felt that acting disinterested about what was going on would go in his favour when he started snooping around trying to figure out what they were trying to achieve with Caitlin._

_Oliver was a good guy, Barry had been his step-brother for three years now so of course he would know that. Tommy was as well from the time he'd spent with him both on the field and at the mansion. However, Barry knew that the two of them together were irrational and ignorant when it came to playing games with people they didn't know._

_They'd never seek to hurt anyone they cared about, but they were idiotic and careless with other people's feelings. Barry wasn't sure how they didn't feel burdened with guilt every time they passed a girl in the hallway who had once been their conquest. Maybe they registered what they'd done but it didn't fully compute with them what damage they'd caused. They didn't really have a lot of empathy between the two of them._

_That was why when Felicity had called out of her mind with worry for her best friend, Barry had immediately dropped everything and cancelled his date after school to spy on Caitlin. She meant a lot to him and the thought of Oliver and Tommy digging their claws in to her made him feel sick. He'd accept them playing with anyone else, but not Caitlin._

_-_

_It was past eleven before he heard the front door slam and he raced down the stairs two at a time only to see the Bentley heading down the drive. Barry casually sauntered in to the kitchen expecting to find Oliver and Tommy still there. He was left confused after he couldn't find them anywhere in the house._

_"They took that girl out to Verdant." Thea said, leaning on the doorway of the living room. "She's different Barry," Thea frowned, "She's too innocent. She was nice to me, I don't want them to hurt this one." She looked upset for Caitlin but Barry decided to analyse that later, already murmuring his thanks and running out the door to catch the three of them at Verdant._

_When Barry arrived, he spotted Caitlin instantly as she sat at the bar still in that purple blouse and cute black skirt. He breathed a small sigh of relief that she looked sober enough and relatively unharmed. Her chin was rested on her hand and she looked bored. Barry smiled. He knew this wasn't exactly her kind of scene._

_Managing to keep one eye on Caitlin, Barry searched for his idiot step-brother and his best friend. The two of them were sat in a booth, currently getting themselves lap dances. Barry's hands fisted at his sides as he walked over._

_One thing Barry hated when he'd been introduced to the rich lifestyle was watching Oliver and Tommy get in to clubs like this underaged. Yeah, Barry was a guy too with needs but he didn't want some random girl grinding on him in a bar. Oliver and Tommy loved it though._

_"So you just told the owner she wanted in and he agreed on the spot, even without her being there?" Tommy asked, clearly amused. Barry frowned and sat at the booth next to them, deciding to eaves-drop on their conversation. Thank God they were both too occupied to notice him._

_"Yeah, she should be getting some customers tonight." Oliver winked at Tommy, clearly amused by his plan._

_"They won't force her if she says no right?" Tommy asked. Barry's eyes widened as what they'd done occurred to him. He shook his head though and decided to wait a little longer and see if he was right. There was no way Oliver and Tommy would stoop so low._

_"Relax, this is a professional club. They have rules for this type of shit, she'll just get spooked and go home." Oliver waves off Tommy's concern._

_"I've got to give it to you, framing Caitlin as a prostitute for Verdant was a pretty funny idea." Tommy admitted._

_Barry's head snapped over to Caitlin at the bar. He was up and out of his booth before he could hear the rest of the conversation._

_"N-No. I don't- want t- to." Caitlin stuttered, feebly pushing a drunk man off her._

_Barry pulled the man off in a rage as soon as he saw him reach for her breasts. The man barely had time to register the fury on Barry's face before he punched him, sending him sprawling on to the floor._

_"Cait? Caitlin, look at me. It's Barry, I'm going to take you home." Barry's hands squeezed her arms gently, trying not to make any sudden movements incase she got scared again._

_"B-Barry?" Caitlin asked hopefully as tears started the slide down her cheeks. She couldn't focus on him properly and he didn't take that as a good sign. "Th-that man. H-he gave me someth-thing." Her shaky hands were wrapping around Barry's shoulders in relief, leaning forwards in to his warm presence. He took that as an okay to lift her off the stool and take her back outside._

_It worried Barry at how limp her arms were around his neck and he had to swallow a lump in his throat as her arms went limp and slid from around his neck. He dared to glance at her face and was relieved to see she was still awake, even if her head was lolling backwards slightly. She was fighting it though, and that made Barry's heart break a little at how she was trying to regain control of her body._

_"Hey, Barry what's up? What are you doing here?" Oliver had left the booth and made his way over to the scene Barry had caused. Tommy wasn't far behind. Their gazes both landed on a dazed Caitlin in his arms._

_"What happened?" Tommy asked, his voice low._

_"I'll talk to you when she's been tested at the hospital." Barry spat, disgust oozing from his voice as he glared at his two supposed friends. "You took it too far this time. If you tell anyone what happened here tonight as some sort of sick joke, you'll be sorry." He glared._

_Barry had never been an intimidating person. Yes, he was toned but he wasn't anywhere near the size of Oliver. Still, he took some pride in the way that Oliver took a step back with wide eyes and Tommy looked anywhere but at him._

_-_

_Barry ended up at Caitlin's house in the early hours of the morning after the nurses had ensured him that all he could do now was make sure Caitlin had plenty of water to flush the drug out of her system. She'd been worked on for four hours in the hospital before he'd even been allowed to see her. It was a relief that at 5am they'd let him take her back to the comfort and safety of her own bed._

_The fact that she could've been a lot worse if he hadn't have taken her to the hospital before she passed out from the drug was somewhat of a relief. It still didn't change the fact that Caitlin had been drugged and almost raped earlier though. Oliver and Tommy hadn't even bothered to look out for her. His free hand clenched and unclenched at his side, trying to put a cap on his anger._

_Felicity was already on Caitlin's doorstep when he hopped out of the taxi, carefully tucking Caitlin in to his side as they made their way across the street to her house._

_"Oh thank God you're okay!" Felicity exclaimed, tears of worry in her eyes. She hugged a still shaky Caitlin before letting her best friend slide back underneath her saviour's arm._

_She frowned at her friend's lack of response and her gaze shifted to Barry. He shook his head slightly and Felicity nodded, opening the door for them and letting them inside._

_"She hasn't spoken much since the hospital. I think she's in shock. I don't think it registered how bad it could've been until the nurse told her." Barry spoke in a hushed tone outside Caitlin's bedroom door._

_"She's so lucky her parents are away for the next couple of weeks. I don't think she could handle them seeing her like this. She'd feel guilty for making them worry so much." Felicity murmured, worrying her bottom lip in concern for her friend._

_"I know. The nurse said she'll be okay physically. It's emotionally I'm worried about." Barry said, staring at Caitlin, a softness in his eyes._

_"Thank you so much for saving her Barry. I can't even imagine what would've happened if I'd have left it and not called you today-"_

_"Hey, don't even think about it. She's safe now." Barry said reassuringly._

_"Barry?" Caitlin mumbled in her sleep. Barry walked over and sat on the end of her bed._

_"Will you stay with her tonight?" Felicity asked. Barry didn't take his eyes of Caitlin but nodded in response. Felicity stopped in the doorway for a few seconds, watching him place a hand on Caitlin's leg and rub it soothingly._

_Yes, Felicity whole-heartedly trusted Barry with her best friend._

_-_

_Barry tried to keep quiet about Tommy and Oliver the next morning, but Caitlin seemed so adamant that the two weren't to blame for what happened last night that he just blurted it out._

_"It was their fault Caitlin! They told the owner you were signing up as a prostitute for the club. It was fucking disgusting what they did and the only reason you were targeted last night was because they put you on the radar in the first place. Don't make any excuses for them again." He took a deep breath before looking up and seeing a hurt look on Caitlin's face and a dark scowl on Felicity's._

_His hands fisted by his plate before he shoved the chair back from under the table and stormed out of the house. He couldn't stay and watch her fall apart again. He'd barely managed to hold it together last night._

_\----_

**Present**

-

Felicity was irritated. The constant whispers as she walked down the school hall were really grinding on her. So what. She'd thrown a football. If that was the juiciest gossip of today then something was seriously wrong with this school, she decided. She breathed a sigh of relief as Caitlin's arm hooked through her own.

Caitlin smiled knowingly at the frustration she could see written all over her best friend's face. If anyone knew how much Felicity hated the spotlight, it was her. She also knew that her being with Felicity as she walked past enquiring gazes, made it a bit easier to handle for her friend.

"Don't worry, all they're talking about is how much of a badass you are for not only being able to throw a football that well, but for hitting Queen with it in the process. You've got guts!" Caitlin laughed as Felicity snorted at that comment.

"It's not guts. It's called not taking shit from a stupid rich boy who thinks he can mess with people and get away with it." Felicity huffed. Caitlin had to agree with that one.

The two had made it to the parking lot and were only two cars away from their own when they were stopped by Queen and Merlyn. Both girls' postures changed immediately as they both stood strong and defiantly in front of the two boys.

"What?" Felicity snapped.

"Do you think you're funny?" Oliver glared back at her, already eating up her personal space as he glowered down at her.

"I think this whole situation is far from funny, Queen." She retorted hotly. Stepping forwards in to his personal space. This time she was challenging him, not the other way around.

"If you think you can try and humiliate me with a football, you've got another thing coming." He spoke, or rather growled.

Caitlin laughed bitterly from Felicity's side and the pair stopped arguing to look at her.

"You're seriously going to stand there and try and insinuate that getting hit on the shoulder with a football is the worst thing that could happen to you?" She asked incredulously. "You really think that's payment enough for when you tried to pass an innocent off as a prostitute in a club where she gets drugged and almost raped?" Oliver's mouth opened and closed, unable to find the words to reply.

Caitlin swivelled slightly to the right so she could stare at both of them as she spoke. "If you think getting hit by a football is the worst of your problems when it comes to us you're in for a shock." She stepped forwards, her eyes blazing with a level of fury that even Felicity had never witnessed in Caitlin before. "I am going to make you suffer for what you did, I'm going to make you feel as helpless and violated as I did and I'm going to laugh in your fucking faces when you're on your knees begging for me to stop. Because I didn't get that option that night. I asked for him to stop and he didn't," Caitlin was starting to tear up and her mouth was screwed up in disgust at her memories of that night, "and you will know what it feels like to have no control. You will know what it feels like to have something play with your mind and control your body. You'll know how weak I felt as my body began to shut down as Barry took me to the hospital, how lost I felt when I woke up that morning with hazy memories and dried blood on my hand where they'd put me on an IV when I passed out."

Both boys didn't really know what to do and Felicity herself was having trouble hearing how Caitlin had felt that night. She hoped that the guilt they felt was unbearable now, just as unbearable as her pain was for her best friend.

Tommy spoke up. "You're not like that Caitlin. No one deserves to feel that way and we've said we're sorry."

Oliver nodded in agreement. "Everyone knows you're better than that." Caitlin's bitter laugh sounded again and both boys winced in anticipation of her next outburst.

"I'm really not." She shook her head at them, her eyes still ablaze.

Felicity watched her pushed past them and climb in to her car. She ran after her and slid in to the passenger seat.

"You okay?" Felicity asked again. She was proud of her best friend for not only standing up to them again, but for not letting those tears fall. She'd stood strong. She'd shown the, enough spare to enhance the guilt Queen and Merlyn bore, but shown them enough rage that they feared her next move.

"I will be." Felicity nodded, expecting that answer.

-

Barry called on Caitlin later in the day. He felt relief he'd managed to smooth things over after his outburst the morning after everything had happened. It had eaten away at him all last week as he waited for Caitlin to come back to school. He didn't think calling at her house would've been appropriate so he'd bided his time and scoured the hallways everyday, wondering when she'd reappear.

Now that she had and they were 'cool'. He couldn't see the harm in checking up on her after dinner. He'd watched Oliver intensely as he'd quietly eaten his food, deep in thought earlier this evening. Barry had heard about Caitlin's outburst in the parking lot and he was glad that it seemed to have knocked some sense in to Oliver.

That was also why Barry was here, on her doorstep. He knew firsthand what she'd been through. He'd seen it. The way she'd gone limp in his arms as he ran in to the emergency room. He'd heard a nurse say her heart rate was dropping considerably fast and he watched as they'd ripped her from his arms and whisked her away.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath as he remembered how they'd told him they couldn't tell him what they'd done to get her back as it would be too painful to hear. All they'd said was they'd had to be rough with her. Barry had never heard of a date rape drug being so bad and it hurt that Caitlin had to endure that.

The man was in custody now and it made him feel a little better than justice was being served. It still didn't erase the events of that night though. And after all, it's the memories that haunt you afterwards that's the problem.

So Barry knew that she needed someone to comfort her and he was going to make sure if she didn't have Felicity, she had him. He'd sworn he'd protect her from anything like that ever happening to her again. And now he wanted to try and protect her from the memories she had of that awful night.

Caitlin opened the door shyly, a small smile on her face to show she was happy to see him. He returned it and stepped inside, his hands shoved deep in his pockets.

"I'm not the pity party, don't worry. I just want to be here with you." Barry said sincerely.

Caitlin's mouth parted half in surprise and half out of fascination that someone could care about her so much. And for him to know she didn't want his pity made her heart flutter. She reached up on her tip-toes and gently placed a kiss on his cheek.

"Thank you Barry." She whispered. He nodded, his cheeks now possessing a faint flush.

-

After watching the second chick flick of the night, Caitlin fell asleep curled in to Barry's side. He carefully lifted the tv remote and switched it off before sliding his arms under Caitlin's sleeping form and carrying her up to bed.

He gently laid her down and pull the covers over her as quietly as possible. He paused watching her sleep peacefully for a few minutes before turning to head back home.

"Barry?" She whispered sleepily.

He turned back around to face her. "Yeah?"

"Will you stay with me?" She asked. How could he refuse her?

"Yeah, of course." He gave her a soft smile as she shuffled across her bed and held the covers up for him to climb in to bed. Barry made a silent thanks he'd opted for his warm trackies and sweater. He didn't fancy sleeping in jeans.

Once he was settled under the covers, Caitlin's arm fell across his stomach as she settled in to his side. "You make me feel safe." She let a tiny yawn escape her lips before she fell asleep.

Barry lay awake a while, flattered that she trusted him so much. He watched the stead rise and fall of her chest, scared she'd start to have a nightmare. After feeling confident she was having nothing but sweet dreams by the small smile she wore as she slept, he drifted off too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everything about the drugging that happened to Caitlin is based on true events. Its something I wanted to address and I feel this does that for me. I've not gone in to too much detail but it's enough to get across how bad the experience is not just for the character Caitlin but for people who have suffered through similar events. 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed the second installment, your comments on the first chapter were all so lovely and they put a smile on my face :) I love that you all loved Felicity throwing the football haha! I thought it was pretty badass ;)


	3. Don't Say You're Sorry

The next day at school was something Caitlin had been looking forward to. Since hearing of her attack confidentially through Barry, the school had decided to start mandatory self defence classes. She was relived that Principle Steele had allowed her to keep her attack private and not confide in the student body that her ordeal was the reason they'd enforced these new classes.

When her and Felicity arrived in class, they were both pleased and shocked to see most of the football team waiting on them as well. Even in the large school gym, most of them looked intimidatingly huge. It didn't take a genius to figure out why they were here.

"Right girls, listen up. Step one in self defence is to never be intimidated by size or shape of an attacker. The football team have kindly offered their services today to act as our attackers." The football team mumbled in disagreement with the girls' self defence instructor. Caitlin found a little bit of joy in how uncomfortable they all looked.

"Why the football team?" Caitlin asked, confused. Yes they were the guys who worked out the most in school and were in great physical shape but it seemed far-fetched to have the girls defend themselves against them so soon. Caitlin doubted anyone in the room was even remotely prepared for that.

"Because Miss Snow, they possess the most intimidating physiques on school grounds and everyone here needs to learn that physical appearance isn't everything. Most of these boys will try and use brute force rather than strategic manoeuvres. The key to defence is to be smart. Impulsiveness is risky and never pays off the way you want it to. Most attackers are likely to depend on intimidation and force rather than the assessment of their victims, that underestimation gives you the chance to surprise them and have the upper hand in any attack, whether that's a mugging or assault."

Caitlin nodded, understanding the logic behind her teacher's answer. Most guys on the football team weren't smart enough to think before they launched themselves at you. You didn't need to be a trained fighter to outsmart them.

Caitlin knew pretty much all the manoeuvres she was shown due to her obsessive studying of them after the attack at the club. She performed the moves perfectly with Felicity, who had also trained herself in a few basic self defence manoeuvres in the week Caitlin had been absent. Felicity had shown full support of her friend's need to train herself to feel safer and had joined her most days after school to help practice.

"Merlyn and Snow, partner up. Smoak and Allen, you two will work together." The teacher walked by absently pairing every one up and Felicity couldn't help but feel she'd got the better end of the deal than Caitlin. She gave her friend a sympathetic smile and then proceeded to half-heartedly carry out some defence with Barry.

Felciity sighed. As much as she liked Barry, he was being too cautious with her and she wasn't really getting anything out of the self defence class. No brute force had really been used and she found it pointless that she wasn't practising this kind of thing against a full forced attack. She still had no idea if she could take a real hit from an attacker because the teacher had forbidden the boys from going that far.

Caitlin however, was having problems of her own. She worked with Merlyn in silence, praying the teacher would miraculously come over and switch her partner for someone else. Preferably someone she didn't want to strangle.

She hadn't mentioned it, but she didn't remember much from the club that night, just blurry images and muffled voices that didn't really fit together. She'd played along and implied she knew what had happened whenever Barry or Felicity would refer to it briefly but she was pretty much in the dark.

Something was at work though as she continued to practice her moves silently with Merlyn, trying to ignore the way his fists would send jolts of fear thorough her body. It was when his whole person morphed in to a drunk old man that Caitlin took a step back, he breath caught in her throat.

Merlyn was oblivious to the change in Caitlin's attitude and proceeded to move forwards and swing an arm towards her. Smack. Caitlin slapped him before he'd even finished.

The room stilled, but Caitlin was unaware. All she could see was the man who'd ruined her innocence.

Merlyn took a step back but Caitlin followed, allowing her right leg to swing swiftly upwards and smack his face again, causing him to stagger backwards. She spun out of it expertly, having obtained perfect balance from numerous dance classes when she was younger.

Then the flashback took hold of her completely and she was screaming at grabbing hands to get off her, unable to differentiate from the teacher to Felciity to Barry. Everyone was him. Everyone was suffocating her with their need to cause her harm. The room spun and voices turned in to terrifying murmurs pounding in her head.

"Don't touch her!" Barry yelled, aware that yes, he had just shouted at the teacher as well as a few members of the class who kept reaching for Caitlin hoping it would soothe her. It obviously wasn't working.

Merlyn was being ushered out the room to go and see the nurse for the bruise blossoming on his otherwise immaculate features. Felicity had distanced herself reluctantly from her best friend. She was close enough to be near her but not as close that it would cause Caitlin distress.

"Barry, you saved her from him, maybe she needs to hear your voice instead of everyone else's." Felicty stated loudly. Although she was talking to him it was obvious she wanted the rest of the room to get the picture and shut up for a second.

Barry took everyone by surprise when he walked straight up to Caitlin and lifted her up effortlessly in his arms. He spoke in a low murmur to Caitlin and everyone could tell when it worked. Although Caitlin didn't protest or fight him off when he lifted her, she had remained stiff and unsure. Now her body sagged against his in relief as she finally accepted she was safe.

It took a few moments after Barry had left the gym with Caitlin before the teacher asked everyone to continue. Felicity was lacking a partner but didn't mind watching the others work from the sidelines. She had a lot to worry about now she'd seen her best friend practically come apart. She's been waiting for Caitlin to finally let it all out. It sucked that it had happened in school, but Felicity could breathe a sigh of relief that it was over now. The anticipation had been killing her. Now she just hoped Caitlin could come out the other end of this a stronger person.

"Mr Queen this is self defence class. And Lucy I'm ashamed of your behaviour. Do you really think you would try and write your number on your attacker's arm when it came to the real thing? No. Sit on the bench and swap with Felicity." Felicity had to smirk at her teacher's 'no tolerance of bullshit' attitude.

Rather than feeling intimidated or nervous about having to work with Queen, she felt oddly giddy about the entire thing. Maybe it was because she was anticipating the rush she'd feel when she knocked him on his ass a few times. First the football, now self defence class? Fate was definitely on her side when it came to Oliver Queen.

Felicity didn't care for the audience that she'd managed to acquire just by walking up to him. She knew that hitting Queen with a football would put her in a new light with her fellow classmates. She also knew that if there was even a slight chance that her and Queen might be at it again, people were going to be very interested in what happened.

Queen's muscles flexed as he crossed his arms over his chest. Felicity raised an eyebrow at his attempt to make her feel inferior.

"Are you supposed to intimidating me Queen?" She asked amused.

"Nice Felicity, I like the attitude. Making an attacker feel self conscious makes you the intimidator." The teacher praised her, also taking an interest in the latest development in her class.

Queen glared in response, opting to remain mute as they sized each other up on the mat.

He took the first swing and Felicity side-stepped easily. The second missed as well and some students dared to laugh at how Felicty was making it look effortless. Queen's jaw tightened in response.

Next was a kick but Felicity had anticipated he would try and change it up and blocked it before using one hand to push against his chest abruptly, sending him one step backwards. Normally she wouldn't have been able to make him budge an inch, but the element of surprise plus him balancing on one leg had meant she could.

The sound of a few people clapping was enough to know she was doing well.

At one point, Queen had managed to pull her up flat against his chest her arms in his hands behind her back. It was a brief second that Felicity succumbed to the blue in his eyes. She soon broke their gaze and stomped on his foot, spinning out of his hold and putting a metre's distance between them.

The slam as her forearm and his collided was louder than any of the others and Felicity had to step back as her fear crept to the surface. Oliver Queen didn't scare her but the feel of a true hit did. He'd finally unleashed his full strength and she'd barely had chance to block his arm before his hit had impacted. Her arm ached from the harsh contact and she knew that would bruise tomorrow.

Felicity took another step backward away from him, respecting his need to calm down. She couldn't tell if anyone else was speaking, all she could hear was her and Queen's heaving breathing. She never took her eyes off him and she would always be glad that she didn't. Felicity saw the regret flash in his eyes and the horror set in as he realised what he'd done.

She'd almost felt ashamed as he'd then stormed out of the gym, like somehow she'd provoked that rage in him and forced him to act out violently. She knew what anger did to people and she never would have pegged herself as the person who made people succumb to it. Even if she did hate Oliver, seeing him look so terrified of what he'd done made her feel nauseous.

She'd made her apologies to the teacher before heading out the gym as well, needing to find her own head. She'd ignored the snide comment someone made about everyone leaving the class. She also decided to remain oblivious to how much gossip and drama herself and Caitlin had now caused. Of course, it wasn't Caitlin's fault what had happened to her, but Felicity had a huge weight on her shoulders regarding a certain rich playboy that she just couldn't shake.

-

Felicity didn't see Caitlin for the remainder of the day, not that she expected to. If there was any justice at this school, they'd sent her home to calm down properly. Hopefully, Barry had been allowed to escort here there as well. Felicity knew he hated exploiting how rich his family now was but she knew when it came to Caitlin he might just do whatever it took to be there for her.

She hoisted her shoulder bag on her shoulder so it rested more comfortably as she rounded the corner. She stopped short at the sight of Oliver sat on the bench before her.

Felicity looked around slowly, wondering if he was waiting for anyone or something. Evidently not, she thought. He was sat hunched over, staring blankly at his hands. She took a deep breath as she realised now was an opportunity to clear her conscious from the awful self defence class this morning.

"Oliver?" She asked cautiously. It seemed strange to hear her voice call his name, normally she just referred to him as Queen. Oliver seemed less detached.

He started slightly, maybe not enough for anyone to really notice, but Felicity did. He looked at her and his face dropped as if she carried bad memories he'd rather forget.

After seeing his reaction, Felicity definitely needed to say something. "I wanted to apologise." Felicity's nose wrinkled at that sentence which earned her a sort of laugh from Oliver. Felicity couldn't deny it felt nice to be the one make him smile.

"How's your arm?" He asked, changing the subject. He sat up and scooted to the left only slightly. Felicity took that as an invitation to sit down beside him.

"The bruise will fade." She shrugged in response. He winced at that but didn't push any more. They sat in silence for a while and Felicity stared out at the school field. Their conversation didn't feel like it was done and she wasn't leaving until it was.

"I'm sorry." Oliver said quietly, clearing his throat uncomfortably.

"Yeah well, I did provoke you and I knew exactly what I was doing so I'm probably the more horrible person here." Felicity said back. Her head was held high and she sounded somewhat at ease. Oliver could tell that she was feeling guilty though.

"Hmm." Oliver hummed in reply. He knew she'd probably seen him start fights at nearly every football game and quickly learnt of his short temper. He wasn't going to argue that she'd been in the wrong to try and use that against him this morning.

"I still hate you by the way. Just so you don't get any mixed signals or anything." Felicity said quickly as she stood up and brush off her floral pencil skirt. She'd always think it looked pretty quirky with her converse and slogan tee no matter what anyone else said.

Oliver looked up, his eyes squinting against the sunlight and his lip pulled between his teeth as he tried to get a read on the blonde in front of him. Felicity thought he looked pretty damn attractive like that and before she could have any more favourable thoughts about him, she looked away and pretended to find the car driving past them very interesting.

"I still hate you too Felicity." Oliver replied. With that, he walked off to start getting ready for practice.

Felicity watched his retreating form with wonder. This guy had layers. He was still an asshole for that stupid joke that he'd pulled on Caitlin. Maybe he didn't think it would go as far as it did but even the joke itself was sick. Felicity decided that now she'd apologised for making him look like a guy without any control or thought with violence when it came to girls, she could continue on her mission to make him and Merlyn pay.

But as she sat down in the drivers seat of her car, she couldn't help but feel a little unsure about everything now.

-

"Hey, I thought you would've gone home with Caitlin." Oliver smacked Barry on the shoulder as he saw him in the locker room.

"I was allowed to take her home and get her settled but coach wanted me back for practice." Barry mumbled. Oliver could tell his stepbrother didn't like being here one bit.

"I can cover for you with mum if you want to go see her after practice and skip dinner." Oliver said. He was still trying to make amend with his brother. The short clipped answers Barry had supplied him with for the past week and a half were really getting to him. He'd never admit it, but Barry was by far the best person to be his stepbrother. He had a lot of time and respect for him. Not having Barry on his side put him more on edge that he would've liked.

"Thanks." Barry muttered, standing up and turning to walk off.

"Hey, man. Just have it out with me. I know you're mad and-" Oliver didn't finish his sentence as he was pinned against e lockers with a forearm pressed against his neck.

"I'm more than mad." Barry spoke harshly. "She was shocked back when her heart rate dropped Oliver! I almost lost her and you think I'm just mad?! I'm fucking furious! I can't even look at you anymore. I never thought you were capable of this."

"Barry I'm-"

" _Don't_ say you're sorry Oliver. Just don't." Barry shook his head, his mouth pressed in to a thin line. His forearm dropped slowly and he punched the lockers in frustration before storming off to get ready for practice.

Oliver rubbed his neck absently as he watched Barry walk away. He ignored to stares of the rest of the team as he decided to get ready as well. He needed some sort of distraction from thinking about the monster he'd become over the past few days. Even he didn't even recognise who he was anymore.

Caitlin felt awful that Tommy had been sent home with a couple of ice packs and antiseptic fluid. Apparently when she'd kicked him, she'd left a nasty graze on his cheek that he needed to keep clean to prevent an infection developing.

What she felt more awful about was the fact at she didn't really feel as guilty as maybe she would have before everything had happened with the two biggest playboys in school. There was a voice in the back of mind that kept repeating itself to her. Maybe he deserved everything he'd gotten. Maybe he'd had a taste of what a true attack felt like. Maybe he could now truly understand her.

She couldn't help but wonder if she'd now had her revenge on Tommy. Maybe attacking him in that self defence class without him expecting that kind of blow was enough to ease the storm inside of her. Then again, maybe it wasn't. She was afraid to sleep in her own bed tonight incase more memories came back to haunt her. She'd had to text Barry after practice and practically demand he stay with her again whilst her parents were still out of town.

Maybe she was just getting started, she thought. She wasn't the golden girl anymore and she certainly wasn't going to pretend like she was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all your feedback, it's so lovely to read! Everything you suggest gets taken in consideration so if there's anything you'd like to see in future chapters just let me know and I'll do my best to incorporate it if it fits the direction I want to take the story in :) X


	4. I Didn't Do It For You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just so you know, Thea is only two years younger than Oliver, Barry, Tommy, Caitlin and Felicity in this AU

Caitlin's parents were home on Friday afternoon. If they knew of what had happened to their daughter, they didn't mention it. Caitlin took that as a sign that she shouldn't bring it up either. The school had brought them in for a discussion with Principle Steele before taking Caitlin home after her last class. She didn't really know If he'd shared any thing more than the incident in class as she hadn't really given her Principle permission to discuss what had happened to her. Then again, they were her parents and Caitlin could see how Steele might feel justified in confiding in them the events that happened two weeks ago.

Still, even sat around the dinner table there was the subject of their visit to the school looming over them. Caitlin wished they'd just get it over with, she was tired of people handling her with kid gloves. It had happened, she'd had a panic attack, probably not the last one she'd have but it was over and everyone around her needed to move on. She didn't want to draw any more attention to herself and once this discussion was done with, she'd go back to blending in to the background.

"How long are we going to ignore the elephant in the room?" Caitlin asked. She sounded annoyed but her voice was small and timid when she spoke. You could tell how at war she was with the situation.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Her mother asked simply.

Caitlin hesitated. "No." She sighed. Her parents were good parents but they understood when to draw a line. They'd learnt early on that their daughter was the one who decided when they talked about problems and feelings and all that.

Caitlin's mum was tense and you could tell she disapproved of her daughters decision. She caught her husbands eye and knew he was thinking the same thing. Still, they respected her privacy and that's why Caitlin loved them so much. Others would see their conversation as distant, but to her it showed her how much they truly cared. Caitlin didn't like to process things normally, the less she talked about her problems, the more she could convince herself they never happened. Maybe it wasn't a healthy way to cope, but she didn't care.

-

Felicity hated working. She was only allowed to collect glasses from the dance floor of the club that employed her seeing as she was underaged. Unfortunately that meant shoving past writhing drunken bodies to retrieve them. One woman had once elbowed Felicity so hard in the ribs, she'd been bruised for a good week before it had faded to little more than a weird coloured patch on her midsection. Try explaining that to your teachers when you're changing for physical ed.

So Felicity knew what she was expecting as she made her fifth lap round the dance floor. What she didn't expect was to see an underaged girl dancing between three men who Felicity knew spelled trouble. She'd worked here long enough to decipher the sleaze of the world and steer clear of them whilst scouring the floor for glasses.

Felicity squinted even though she had her contacts in. She'd broken too many pairs of glasses knocking in to people to wear them for work now. The young girl looked barely 16 and the way she was swaying suggestively caused Felicity to swallow the bile in her throat. She was stumbling between the three men, clearly unaware of what she was getting herself in to.

After Caitlin, Felicity had made sure to look for signs of someone who'd been drugged so she could prevent it from happening when she was at work. It wasn't much, but Felicity felt she was now responsible if she let anything like that happen when she was wandering around the dance floor doing her job. Surely someone as sober as her and with access to the whole floor should be able to watch out for anything that was out of place.

Felicity shot off towards the girl before she could stop herself and spun her around. The girl stumbled and groaned a little, looking up at Felicity. Oh my god Felicity thought. Thea Queen's eyes were glazed over and Felicity cupped her face trying to get her to focus on her. She couldn't.

Felicity swallowed. Had Caitlin looked like this when her drink had been spiked?

"Iwanaadance." Thea mumbled feebly, clawing weakly at Felicity's hands that were still holding her head up.

"Thea, I'm taking you home." Felicity yelled. It wasn't any use, the girl wasn't listening to a word she said but she didn't protest as Felicity dragged her away.

To be honest, as Felicity dragged Thea from the club after grabbing her coat and bag from behind the bar, she hadn't even thought about the three men she may have upset by dragging away their victim.

"Where do you think you're going Barbie?" Felicity's blood ran cold as his voice sliced through the cool evening air. She didn't respond though and kept walking forwards, keeping her head down and clutching Thea's hand tightly so the girl was only a step behind her. She'd given Thea a bottle of water from her bag and she'd chugged it down as they walked out of the club. Thea was still stumbling though and it was difficult to walk so fast whilst pulling her up every time she tripped over her own feet. Luckily, Thea had yet to fall on to the ground yet. Felicity didn't think she had the strength to carry her the rest of the way to her car.

Felicity suddenly realised the fault in her plan. She couldn't just take Thea to her car. She could hear the heavy footsteps behind her that was confirmation they were following her. They were pretty close behind and she doubted she'd make it to her car before they caught up. Her car was parked round the back of one of the shops and it was too secluded to even risk heading there. She needed to stay in sight of somewhere that had a lot of witnesses.

With that in mind, Felicity crossed the road quickly to walk beside the park. The pavement was easily seen on this side of the road by passing cars and she knew if something happened they'd be in plain sight. Discreetly, she used her free hand to dial 911 on her phone. She let the call ring out in her pocket and didn't bother to say anything. All calls had to be answered even if no one was on the other end. She just hoped someone took her silence as a sign she couldn't talk because it was too dangerous. She tried to navigate herself through empty streets, keeping in sight in case by some miracle someone was around this part of the glades at 2am. Well, anyone that wasn't a criminal that is.

Felicity had noticed whilst lost in thought that despite the sneering and inappropriate comments being thrown her way from behind them, Thea had obtained a lot more balance. Felicity looked to her right to see two hands clutching on to her arm and a pair of confused eyes looking up at Felicity's face. They seemed to be more focused but Thea was still far from sober.

"It's going to be okay, just keep walking." Felicity nodded with as much fake confidence as she had. She wasn't a natural actress and although Thea nodded silently, she knew neither of them were convinced anything was going to be okay right now.

Felicity glanced at the phone in her pocket and was relieved to see the call was still connected. Someone was with them.

"When I say so, we're going to start running okay?" Felicity murmured quietly. She knew the men were playing with them by keeping their distance and she figured if she took them by surprise and started making a run for it, it gave her and Thea a couple of seconds head start. That's all she needed.

Thea's grip on her arm tightened and Felicity could feel her arms were shaking slightly whilst she came down from whatever she was on. Thea didn't respond and Felicity didn't have time to wait for an answer. The snickering behind the two girls had a sinister feel to it and they needed to get as far away from them as possible.

Felicity remembered the word 'run' escaping from her lips and heaving pounding footsteps on the pavement. She also remembered running back for Thea as she stumbled. She remembered the man she attacked with her emergency pepper spray. She saw blood trickling down Thea's leg before sirens sounded and something hit her head.

-

The words 'Vertigo' and 'The Count' were also swimming around Felicity's head as she sat in the police station opposite one Detective Lance. He'd been trying to explain why so many people were being exposed to drugs in the glades recently. Although she'd been curious and appreciated him clearing up that mystery for her, she didn't understand how knowing helped her. Her best friend and now the one and only Thea Queen had been hit with it over the last two weeks.

Luckily for the younger Queen, the dose she'd been given wasn't as concentrated as Caitlin's had been and it had taken four hours since she was exposed for her to come down from the high it had given her. She hasn't passed out and the paramedic had said all she'd have when she woke up would be a bad headache and a sensitive stomach. Nothing more than what most people suffered from when they had a mild hangover.

Thea had been crying over Felicity when she'd woken up. Apparently she'd been out for a couple of minutes before Thea had managed to slap her out of it. The three men that had been following them had made themselves scarce when the sirens had got louder.

Her head had hurt like a bitch though but apart from a small graze on the top of her forehead and bump at the back of her head she'd been fine. She didn't know how she'd managed it but she didn't have concussion and after staying awake pretty easily whilst her and Thea camped out at the station, the onsite medic had been convinced she'd be fine.

Thea had cut her knee open when she'd fallen over and it was minor compared to what harm could have come to her if the police hadn't have intercepted when they did.

Thea had took hold of Felicity's arm again and rested her head on her shoulder as they waited for someone to tell them they could go home. Thea was grumbling about how much water and bread they'd fed her since she got there. No one really knew how to sober Thea up but they'd settled for plain food and plenty of water. Anything else Thea had said made her feel sick even thinking about eating it.

Lance hadn't been too convinced when Felicity had told him that Thea was passing the club she was working at with the guys following her and Felicity had just joined her to make sure she didn't get hurt. The last thing Thea needed to deal with was the police charging her for underaged drinking.

Thea appreciated it though and was evidently a much better liar than Felicity as she'd added her own details to the story and managed to convince Lance to let it go. He had done to their relief and now it was just a waiting game. Felicity knew no one would be home at her house, her mum was working a triple shift at the exclusive bar she'd been working for since forever and Felicity doubted her mum's idiot boss would let her leave to come see her daughter at the police station.

So Felicity settled on waiting with Thea for someone to come pick her up. She was praying it would be anyone but Oliver. He was one problem she didn't want to deal with.

-

"Thea?" Oliver rushed in to the station with Tommy jogging behind him to keep up. Both boys' faces were the picture of deep concern. Felicity didn't blame them, it must be pretty scary to receive a phone call at 4.30am telling you your little sister was drugged and followed home. Everyone knew Tommy Merlyn was an honorary member of the Queen family anyway so Thea was very important to him too.

"She's here." Felicity replied, conscious that Thea was most likely asleep on her shoulder now. She hadn't heard her grumble about aching for the past half hour which was unusual.

Thea pulled herself up though as soon as Felicity had called out. Felicity cursed that she wasn't considerate enough to keep quiet to let her sleep. Her brother would have spotted them on his own soon enough.

"Ollie," Thea sobbed as soon as she saw him and Felicity watched as Oliver scooped his little sister up in arms. His eyes squeezed shut as he took in the fact his sister was safe and sound. Tommy joined them soon after and one of Thea's arms snaked free and wrapped around his neck too.

When she was put back on to the ground and Oliver had wiped away the last of her tears, all three turned their attention to Felicity. Feeling uncomfortable with the attention, Felicity looked over at the other side of the room, hoping by some miracle someone would walk through the doorway who was here for her and take her away from the awkwardness.

She hadn't done this for Oliver or Tommy. She didn't want their thanks. She'd done this to save someone else from the same fate as her best friend. It felt wrong to expect anything from them when it hadn't even crossed her mind that she was saving Thea for anyone but Thea. It would have been sweet justice to leave Thea there and see how they would have reacted to a family member suffering what Caitlin went through. But Felicity wasn't that evil, and she would never leave anyone in a situation like that, even if it was the devil himself. Even thinking of it made her sick with guilt. She was better than that, much, much better.

"Thank you for saving my sister." Oliver said. The sincerity in his voice made Felicity turn back to face him. His gaze was piercing and Felicity felt his icy blue eyes were staring beyond her own and piercing her soul.

Terrified of feeling like that, she looked down at her fingers and then off in to the distance, trying to look anywhere but him.

"I didn't save her for you." She half said, half whispered. Her tone wasn't harsh, more soft, like she was trying to be fierce but couldn't.

"I know." He nodded to himself.

"You didn't have to, but you did and that's what we're thankful for. It doesn't matter who you did it for." Tommy said quietly. Felicity nodded and made eye contact with them again.

"They mentioned a Felicity saved Thea when they called me and I assumed it was you. Barry went to pick up Caitlin so you'd have somebody here." Felicity nodded again and took a deep breath. She'd been holding it together for Thea all night and having Oliver and Tommy be so nice to her was cracking the damn she'd built. Oliver had taken the time to tell Barry she was at the station with Thea and had let him grab Caitlin so Felicity wouldn't be alone when she left here. That struck a nerve. She just didn't get him. He'd apologised earlier in the week for going to hit her and he'd meant it and now this. What he and Tommy had done to Caitlin didn't seem to fit with the person she'd seen in him since then. It was beyond confusing.

"Just so you know, what you said the other day about being the more horrible person, it's not true." Felicity was starting to think she looked like a bobble head as she nodded again to what he said.

She was dealing with the realisation that she wanted someone to be here for her so badly it hurt. She clenched her hands together in her lap as she tried not to think about the comfort she was desperately seeking. She really didn't want to seek comfort in the two people before her so she did what she always did and put her walls up.

"Can you leave please?" She asked with a shaky voice.

"Sure." Oliver tilted his head at Tommy and they both walked off without another word.

"Thank you for everything, Felicity." Thea said quietly and Felicity managed a small smile before Thea slipped under her brothers' arm and headed towards the exit.

They met Barry and Caitlin just before they disappeared from sight. After an awkward encounter between Tommy and Caitlin, her best friend came rushing to Felicity, enveloping her in a big hug. Barry stayed behind and checked over Thea to see for himself that she was okay.

"Oh my god, Lis," Caitlin choked out as she hugged her best friend tightly. "I've never been so worried in my entire life. Are you okay, did they hurt you?" Caitlin pulled away and inspected the graze and her friends head. Felicity let out a small laugh despite the tears building in her eyes as she realised how much it meant that Caitlin had come to get her and was now fussing over her like the doctor she was training to become.

"I was hit over the head with something when I went back to get Thea when she fell. I don't know what it was." She frowned slightly, frustrated she didn't know what it was that had knocked her to the ground.

"Well, that doesn't matter. As long as you're safe." Caitlin said, pulling her friend back in to a tight embrace. She was now satisfied the paramedics had done a good job of patching Felicity up.

Felicity pulled back from this one. "Home?" She asked hopefully.

"Home." Caitlin agreed with a reassuring smile. The two girls walked out hand in hand, stronger together

"I hope you know you're not going home without me. I figured you wouldn't want to be alone after everything and I know your mums working all night." Caitlin said, bumping shoulders with her best friend.

Felicity just nodded gratefully, still ferociously fighting her tears. Oliver and Tommy were still nearby and they didn't get to see her cry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I keep saying this but I love reading your comments. I'm sorry I don't reply to every single one but I appreciate them all :) 
> 
> The next chapter will be up soon and this one kind of puts an end to the drugged Caitlin situation and lays it to rest, it's probably not what you will expect but hopefully you'll like it x


	5. We're Done

The last person that Felicity expected on her doorstep the next afternoon was Thea Queen herself. Caitlin looked just as confused as her so she simply shrugged off how weird the situation was and stepped aside. Thea offered a small, grateful smile before entering.

Felicity held her breath as she suddenly become self conscious of what Thea would think to her home. It was nothing compared to the mansion obviously, but she prided herself on how well her and her mum did on what little they had. It was small two bedroom house and when shopping her mum had been careful to pick out stylish minimalistic objects to put around the house that brought it together.

Thea settled on the worn leather sofa without so much as batting an eyelash. Felicity let out a breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding. Thea was different. Where Felicity knew Oliver would turn his nose up, Thea found the beauty in it and seemed genuinely interested in where they'd got some of the ornaments and household items she spotted around the house.

The fractured mirror mounted in the wall was her favourite and she'd been in awe as Felicity explained that her and her mum had just collected broken mirrors from garage sales and used them to create the effect on the wall. It wasn't exactly practical, but it looked pretty cool. Thea had thought it was amazing and laughed when Felicity mentioned her mum couldn't bring herself to smash any mirrors herself, hence why they bought them already broken. She was way too superstitious about that sort of thing.

Once the tension had been broken, the three girls sat around the small table in the kitchen nursing cups of coffee. Caitlin had been more difficult for Thea to build a rapport with. You couldn't blame her though, after what Tommy and Oliver had done, she was still cautious that anyone related could be as bad. She'd eventually decided Thea was nothing like what she expected and had spent the next few minutes feeling guilty for even wondering if the younger Queen was as bad as her brother.

Now that they were sat down and the excitement of getting to know someone new had worn off, you could see the toll the previous night had taken on Thea. Although only two years younger than Caitlin and Felicity, she looked so small and fragile. Caitlin and Felicity's maternal instincts had kicked in and they'd put a blanket over her shoulders and pestered Thea about how she was feeling.

"I just keep thinking that it could've been worse, that they didn't finish," Thea grimaced as she said those words. "That and taking deep breaths seems to help. I don't really feel too physically drained, I just can't get up for very long before I need to rest again."

Caitlin nodded. "The first two days, I could barely move. I just drank water and threw up in a bucket beside my bed. Not fun." She smiled at Thea but it didn't reach her eyes.

"Wait, it happened to you too?" Thea asked, her eyes wide.

"Um," Caitlin looked helplessly at Felicity.

"Your brother didn't tell you?" Thea shook her head at Felicity, obviously confused as to why both girls' expressions had darkened.

It's not that Caitlin didn't appreciate Oliver and Tommy's will to leave Thea's image of them untainted, it was the fact that they knew Caitlin would have been able to relate to Thea and possibly help her on some level after everything. If she'd had a little sister or brother who needed that kind of reassurance that they weren't the only one's suffering from similar situations, she wouldn't hesitate to do whatever that took.

"Why would my brother tell me?" Thea asked, sensing there was something else they weren't telling her.

"Well that night I met you in the mansion, they took me to a club." Caitlin gave Felicity a look, telling her best friend she was going to tell Thea everything. Felicity didn't seem to disagree with that so Caitlin continued. "What happened after- I can't really say this in a nice way so I'm not going to. Your brother and Tommy framed me as a prostitute as a prank. It didn't go well and I ended up being given a high concentration of a drug that almost killed me." Caitlin swallowed. "Barry, he saved me."

Despite looking vulnerable as she spoke, Caitlin's mask was put back in place and the cold displacement in her eyes returned. Just the thought of the two boys who had ruined her was enough for her to flip a switch.

"That's why Barry doesn't really talk to Ollie or Tommy anymore." Thea whispered in realisation.

"Yes. Barry stays with me most nights. I don't sleep so well without him there." Despite how sad Caitlin's confession was, Felicity couldn't help a small smile as she thought about the budding relationship between her best friend and Barry.

"And they got away with this?" Thea asked angrily.

Caitlin scoffed. "Not if I have anything to do with it."

Felicity bit her lip as she looked at Thea. She didn't know if she'd approve to the two of them going after her older brother and honorary older brother. They were still her family, despite their actions.

"Good." Thea spoke, angry tears building in her eyes. Felicity and Caitlin weren't sure how to deal with her tears. They settled on just watching her carefully, prepared to comfort Thea when she did start to cry.

"I don't- I _can't_ believe this." Thea snapped. "I mean I didn't agree with the way they treated girls like toys, even some of my friends were their victims and I was as okay with it as I could be. But this? God, I didn't even have it as bad as you Caitlin and I can barely breathe sometimes when it gets too much. How could they do this?" Her eyes squeezed shut as she took deep breaths to try and soothe herself.

"Some people don't think before they do things. Normally I'd forgive a prank that went wrong but not this one." Caitlin said bitterly.

"How can I go home and have him worry over me when I know he caused this to happen to someone else? I don't think I could handle that." Thea shook her head, her bottom lip quivering. To her, it felt like she'd lost two members of her family. There wasn't any way that the Oliver and Tommy she knew would do anything like that.

"You go home and you learn to forgive him. It's different for us, but he truly cared about you last night when he picked you up. For some reason unbeknownst to me he made sure Barry got Caitlin for me so I wouldn't have to be alone. As much as I hate to say, I do think he's capable of being a good person. The Oliver and Tommy that you know probably aren't too hard to find, not when it comes down to you anyway. You're family." Felicity said.

It felt weird really, usually Caitlin was the one seeing the good in people. Felicity wasn't a second chance kind of person so it felt foreign to her that she was encouraging Thea to give Oliver and Tommy another shot. Caitlin seemed to nod, although it was so faint Thea might have missed it. Felicity sighed, Caitlin's faith in other people had truly diminished.

Thea didn't say much after that. Neither Felicity or Caitlin pushed her to talk but instead moved on to different subjects. The mood wasn't lifted so easily though and Thea left still unsure of what awaited at home.

-

"Thea! Where have you been? I've been worried sick." Barry rushed over and enveloped his stepsister in a hug.

Thea returned the hug, thankful that the one brother she still trusted was the one to greet her when she stepped in to the Queen mansion.

"Hey, you okay? You don't look so great." Barry said leaning back and bending his knees slightly so he could look Thea in the eyes. He saw the tears gathering and gave her a questioning look.

"You didn't tell me about Caitlin." Thea said simply, her voice a little breathy as she struggled to hold back her tears.

Barry's whole face dropped and the hands he had resting on her shoulders slowly slid down her arms as he stood back. Shit, he didn't know how to handle this one.

"That's why you don't talk to Ollie or Tommy anymore. That's why you sit with me at the dinner table away from them." She said.

"Thea-"

"No. You don't have to make excuses for them. Just-" Thea's lips clamped shut for a second as she composed herself. "Just thank you. Caitlin said you're the only thing that helps right now and I'm glad she has you."

Barry nodded stiffly, at war with himself. It didn't seem right that Thea had to find out about Caitlin before Oliver and Tommy had told her. Then again, he could see how easy it would be for Caitlin to use her experience with Vertigo to relate to Thea and offer reassurance. He was sure Caitlin wouldn't tell Thea to spite Oliver and Tommy. She was better than that, even when she was bitter and twisted about what they'd done.

"She didn't mean to tell me, but she didn't want to cover it up and lie to me once she'd slipped up." Thea offered the explanation but he didn't need one. He knew Caitlin and he'd never doubt her like that.

"I know." Barry finally said.

"Although I don't think you could even if you tried, don't make her hate you Barry. Be good to her." Thea said quietly and she squeezed his arm lightly before heading upstairs.

Barry scratched the back of his head for a few seconds, considering what his little sister had said. He couldn't ever imagine hurting Caitlin but the fear of doing it unintentionally terrified him. He'd never cared for someone so much that he was scared to get closer. Normally he'd just go for it. He frowned, confused.

Oliver walked through the door with Tommy a few seconds later.

"She knows." Barry said before he slipped past them and went for a drive.

-

Oliver and Tommy didn't really know what to expect after Barry left. They decided it would be better to face Thea now rather than later. The sooner this was done the sooner they could move on and pretend nothing had happened.

Unfortunately, Thea was utterly unresponsive. They tried knocking on her door and even camped outside it for about an hour but to no avail. There was no way they were settling anything tonight.

"Thea, I know you don't understand and that's why we need to talk. Please, just let us at least try." Oliver gave it one last attempt and gave Tommy a look to back him up.

Tommy shrugged, unable to think of anything else to say but he tried anyway. "Yeah Speedy." Oliver smacked him on that arm as a way of saying his best friend could do better than that. Tommy glared at him and shrugged helplessly before continuing. "Look, you're family. I need- We need to fix this. What are we if we're not family?"

Oliver rolled his eyes at Tommy's dramatic finish with flailing arms. Now wasn't a time to be messing about.

The door swung open behind them and both boys scrambled to their feet hurriedly.

"I know you're not taking this seriously. I don't even think you understand what actually happened to Caitlin. That's why Barry hasn't forgiven you yet. You don't see what you've done. Have you not noticed the changes in Caitlin? And if not Caitlin, me? I've been targeted by a stranger in a club and almost-" Thea couldn't bring herself to finish that sentence.

"We know. That's why we're here." Oliver said.

"No you don't. You're still everyone's heroes at school. I don't even think you've looked in the mirror and actually seen what was in front of you. No one except four people know who you really are and you've not done anything to take responsibility. Last week you brought three girls home and went to a club. You haven't learnt anything."

Tommy started to say something but Thea pinned him with a look. He quickly shut his mouth and looked over at Oliver. Oliver's jaw was clenched shut, you could see his jaw muscle twitch in frustration as he waited for Thea to get it all out.

"I don't know who you are anymore. How could you just walk away from it and not do anything? You don't get to ignore this anymore." She ground out.

With that, Thea slammed her door shut and didn't come out the rest of the night. Oliver and Tommy were stood stoic in the hallway for a few seconds before Tommy mumbled something about needing a drink and the two headed downstairs, deflated. Stealing the expensive whiskey from the cabinet wasn't anywhere near as satisfying now.

-

Barry didn't need too much time alone before he was driving to Caitlin's. It wasn't a conscious decision he just needed to be somewhere that would make him feel better. It wasn't until he was only five minutes away that he realised he'd changed route and was heading to Caitlin's.

He pulled over and parked opposite her house, taking a deep breath. He didn't know why he was feeling so anxious about seeing her again. Hadn't he only seen her last night in her house? What was different now?

He shook his head and decided he'd ignore the weird feeling settling in his stomach. He was sure there was a purely logical scientific explanation. He laughed to himself, sometimes he sounded like Caitlin. Barry stopped dead in front of the door.

He didn't have time to think too much before the door was being opened and Caitlin was stood there looking flustered and upset.

"Barry I didn't mean to tell Thea it just slipped out. I was trying to make her feel better about what happened and I just- I messed up and I'm sorry." Caitlin finished, taking a relieve breath she'd got her apology out almost perfectly.

Barry smirked and took a moment to take her in. She looked beautiful. The natural flush on her skin and the way her hair was a bit ruffled and out of place was breathtaking. She was also in shorts and a top which made a change. Barry couldn't help but feel like he preferred her this way. She'd always woken up before him in the mornings and was dressed and ready before he so much as noticed she'd left the bed. Seeing her looking a lot more casual and laid back was a nice change.

She was the Caitlin that no one else saw and that was something that made his heart swell. It also made a surge of possessiveness run through him. That surprised him, because Barry had never been possessive or aggressive concerning girls before but with Caitlin it was something completely new. He hated the idea of anyone else seeing her like this.

"Cait, it's okay." Caitlin's head snapped up at that and she eyed him curiously before nodding and letting him come inside. Barry ignored the fact that he never needed to ask to come inside anymore.

"Is that all you're going to say on the matter?" Caitlin asked, hands on her hips.

"What?" Barry asked, a small smile on his lips. This should be good.

"Well I just expected something more than a 'it's okay'." She used her fingers to air quote as she spoke. "I mean, it's not like I've been pacing back and forth ever since Thea left and I got home trying to figure out if you'd still-"

Barry grabbed her face with both hands and pressed his lips to hers urgently. It wasn't a long kiss, barely five seconds but it felt like longer.

Caitlin drew back and looked up at Barry. "-like me." She finished, although her voice was a lot softer and husky.

"I feel like that answers your question." Barry said simply before making his way in to the living room and rooting through the DVD choices Caitlin had put out for them.

"I- Uh- wha-" Caitlin stuttered, still rooted to the spot out in the hallway.

Caitlin marched in to the room ready to tell Barry that he couldn't just grab her and kiss her like that and walk away but she stopped short at the sight of him settling on the couch and arranging the blankets carefully so Caitlin could slide in next to him in the space she always occupied. Her heart warmed immediately.

So instead of saying anything she situated herself next to Barry and slid her hand through his arm so she could hug it to her side. She let out a small sigh, that she was sure Barry wouldn't be able to hear, as she rested her head on his shoulder and turned her attention to the screen.

Barry hummed quietly in response and Caitlin was satisfied for the time being to revel in his presence and his signature scent that she loved so much. The talk could wait.

-

It took twelve hours for the tables to turn. For Felicity and Caitlin's world to suddenly be tilted on an axis and changed forever. Everything was out.

Everyone now knew why Caitlin had taken a week off school with no notice. Everyone knew why Caitlin had broken down during her fight with Tommy. No one needed to question why Barry and Caitlin were so close now and why it was only him that had brought Caitlin down from that panic attack. Everyone knew why Felicity had thrown that football at Oliver and why things had got so heated in self defence class. No one needed Felicity to explain how she'd got the graze on her forehead. They already knew all the answers.

Barry had left Caitlin's early that morning to check on Thea seeing as he was the only one she really wanted to see at the moment. So Felicity and Caitlin only had each other as they were bombarded with questions and concern from class mates who only three days ago never had the time of day for them.

"Caitlin, I'm so sorry. Are you okay now?"

"I can't believe you saved Thea Queen!"

"Oliver deserved more than that football you threw at him."

It didn't stop. Not even when they got to their lockers and had walked past the majority of the study body. Everyone wanted to hear it from the two girls who it had happened to. Felicity guessed by the way all attention was on them that Oliver and Tommy had yet to arrive with Thea and Barry. That should be fun, she thought.

-

"I want a word with you." Felicity didn't need to turn around to know who was breathing down her neck after class. She hadn't seen Oliver all day and she'd been waiting for this showdown.

"I didn't do it and I don't need to make excuses to you. Leave me alone." Felicity snapped behind her, increasing her speed as she headed for her locker.

The scene of Oliver following her with a murderous look on his face had caused heads to turn but Felicity refused to let that shake her and carried on with all the confidence she could muster. She reached her locker before he wrapped his fingers around her wrist and turned her to look at him.

Felicity had to admit that although he looked ready to commit, his grip on her wrist was gentle and his thumb grazed lightly over her skin as he let her go. Damnit she couldn't get a read on this guy. Angry but gentle? Are you kidding?

'What's going on?" Caitlin had walked up to them clutching her chem book with a face of stone.

"We could ask you the same thing." Replied a seething Tommy as he also walked up to the group. The crowd was gathering and Felicity knew it wouldn't be long before a teacher picked up on what was happening and put a stop to it.

"Leave them alone." A voice sounded from behind Oliver and Tommy and both boys swivelled to see Thea standing there, her mouth set in a hard line.

"Speedy what are you doing here?" Oliver asked confused.

"I came to tell you that I did it."

"You what?" Oliver asked, his fists clenching and unclenching by his side.

"Don't blame me Ollie, you did this to yourself. I told you I wouldn't let you ignore this anymore. You were about to yell at them instead of apologise. The only reason that you're mad is because everybody knows. You're not sorry about what you did, you're sorry everyone knows how shitty you two are now. You're done being the golden boys." Thea said.

"Thea that wasn't the right thing to do. This wasn't your fight." Tommy said. He was somewhere between angry and upset as he spoke.

"What makes you better than the man who drugged me? What makes you better than the man who drugged Caitlin? You ignored it ever happened, you didn't take responsibility and you didn't even try and make things right before you let it lie. God, Ollie, the same day Caitlin came back you threw a football at her. You need to grow up or stay out of my life." With that, Thea left all four of them completely speechless.

Oliver turned around and looked at both Caitlin and Felicity, before his head hung in defeat. Tommy wasn't doing any better either. Both boys seemed too lost to even find the words.

"We're done now." Felicity said quietly.

Oliver slowly looked up at her and was confused by her sad expression.

"You lost your sister from this and that's the biggest punishment you could ever receive. You got to watch her go through everything I had to watch my best friend go through. I don't think there's anything left for us to finish here." She locked eyes with him the entire time, observing how each word she spoke sat with him and how the guilt swirled in his eyes viciously.

Felicity looked over at Caitlin and urged her with a look to speak up now or not at all.

"If you want to say something, say it." Tommy growled, his anger directed at Caitlin.

"I want you to know that I will never think of you again after today. You will be as insignificant to me as a speck of dust. But you, you will think of me every day for the rest of your life because I'm the one mistake you couldn't cover up. I was the one where you took it too far and lost everything. You don't get a do-over with this and you will always be the bastards who broke my heart."

A few people clapped and hollered in agreement but Caitlin ignored that. She nodded at Felicity to let her know she was done before she left.

Felicity hesitated before she followed. "Thank you for getting Caitlin for me at the the station. That meant a lot to me and I don't know how you knew I'd need her or why you even stopped to consider what I'd need but I'm glad you did."

With that, she left the two biggest playboys in the school standing in the corridor, watching her retreat from them for the last time. It was over and done with now. As far as Caitlin and Felicity were concerned, they were done with the likes of Tommy Merlyn and Oliver Queen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks so much for keeping with me on this and commenting your thoughts it's so great to have such a response :) 
> 
> I hope the 'end' to the whole drugging showdown is something you like. obviously its not the end of the drugging topic as the characters aren't going to get over it that quick but I hope you liked how both girls walked away from it and how they finished it all off x


	6. I'm Not Avoiding You

Rule number one in any revenge: Never underestimate your opponent.

Rule number two: Don't ever take things to the point of regret.

Rule number three: When all is done, never feel sorry for them no matter what they do.

To be honest, Felicity felt these rules were pretty simple to follow. And yet, she was still watching Oliver at his locker down the hall as he slumped against it with his eyes shut. His whole demeanour had changed over the weeks that had passed since Thea basically told him to get out her life. She almost felt sorry for what he must be going through.

His eyes flickered and found hers. She held his gaze for a second, trying to figure him out. Noticing that he didn't seem to want to look away either, she quickly slammed her locker shut and hurried away down the hall. It had only been three weeks since she'd last spoken to him, that wasn't nearly sufficient time to start feeling even slightly okay about him. He'd still done a horrible thing.

To be honest, she wasn't sure if it was even allowed that she should ever start to think of him favourable after everything.

That being said she still looked back at him curiously as she turned the corner. Her stomach felt funny as soon as she caught him still watching her walk away.

-

"Barry Allen!" Caitlin practically shouted across the field as she stomped over to him. Barry dropped the sandwich he was about to take a bite of in surprise and looked over at her sheepishly. Yep, he totally knew he was in trouble.

He hadn't meant to do it intentionally but since their kiss, he'd been swift in avoiding the topic to the point where somewhere along the way he'd started ignoring her altogether. It wasn't his usual style and he really didn't know what was going on with him. He didn't want to try and talk about the kiss when he didn't really have a good enough grasp on his feelings himself.

A few heads turned to see the commotion but she remained oblivious as she stood in front of him with her arms folded over her chest. She looked defiant and beautiful. It was actually quite attractive seeing her so mad. It was also very satisfying that he was the cause of her rage. He didn't know he could make anyone feel so much even if it was a pretty negative emotion.

"Well?" Caitlin asked impatiently. Barry gave her an incredulous look and couldn't help but turn to his friends for support. The rest of the football team however, found the situation amusing and weren't giving anything away as they all stared at him expectantly. He grimaced as the thought of them impersonating Caitlin. Even it was just a bit of fun, it felt wrong to mock her so.

"Cait, I-" He shrugged not really sure what to say.

"We can either have this discussion in front of all of your friends or we can go somewhere else and settle this properly. Your choice." She said, staring him down.

"Well since you asked so nicely..." Barry muttered as he stood up from the table and walked off to the bleachers. He could hear the steady beat of her footsteps behind him as he walked.

When he reached the private spot under the bleachers he turned to face her and noticed how her mask had dropped. Her look wasn't cold and demanding anymore it was sad and vulnerable.

"Why are you avoiding me?" She asked quietly.

"I'm not avoiding you," Caitlin scoffed at that but Barry silenced her with a look before he continued. "I just don't have all the answers right now and I can't talk about what happened until I do." Barry sighed helplessly.

"Barry, I don't have all the answers either but I'm not running for the hills every time I see you in the hallway. To be honest I don't really want to talk about it either, it doesn't feel right that we should have to analyse everything we do." Caitlin rolled her eyes at the look Barry gave her. "Yes, I know Caitlin Snow doesn't want to analyse something, go figure. But seriously Barry, I can handle not talking about it but I can't handle you avoiding me." Caitlin stepped forwards, her eyes boring in to his.

"I'm sorry." Barry said. He felt like a jerk now she'd put it that way. He should have just told her he didn't want to talk and left it at that. He had to admit he hadn't coped well without her these past weeks. It felt strange not waking up beside her in the mornings and it killed him that she may have had nightmares because he wasn't there to soothe her while she slept.

"It's okay." Caitlin gave him a small smile. She took another step forwards though, watching him carefully as she did.

He slowly looked up from the ground and watched her in anticipation. The look in her eyes suggested she wanted something more from him and as much as he hoped for what that would be, he was still unsure.

"Why did you bring me here Barry?" She asked.

Finally Barry looked around and wanted to smack himself for being so dumb. He'd unknowingly lead her underneath the bleachers, a hot make-out area in their school. He mentally rolled his eyes at how he always seemed to be unconsciously doing things when it came to Caitlin. He didn't even need to think about it properly before his body was doing exactly what it needed to.

"Seems a bit strange you brought me here of all places." Caitlin's voice had lowered to barely above a whisper as she stood right before him with her hands flat on his chest. Barry bit back a groan as she looked up at him with dark eyes and her lips pulled between her teeth. She looked delicious.

"Were you trying to tell me something? Imply what you wanted from me?" Although the questions sounded accusing her tone was playful and seductive. She definitely wasn't bothered about the situation he'd put them in.

Barry didn't know whether to let himself lose control with her or run and hide. She still terrified him. He didn't know what would happen if he gave in to what he wanted. There was delicious anticipation but also the raging fear of what they could be. He'd never been so tormented by his feelings for someone before.

Then Caitlin arched forwards and pressed her body in to his suggestively, tugged even harder on her lip as she stared at his.

There were two words that flew through Barry's mind at that point. _Fuck it._

With that, his hands that had been clutching the fencing behind him found her hips as he pulled her forwards and swallowed the small gasp on her lips with his own. Her hands slid up his chest and ran aggressively through his hair pulling his head down further. Her breasts pressed against his chest and he moaned in to her mouth.

All he thought about as he devoured her was that he needed more. More more more. He tugged furiously at her top, un-tucking it from her skirt and his calloused hands found soft, inviting flesh. Caitlin didn't object, just let small noises of approval escape in to the kiss as his hands roamed over her skin, discovering and learning her body's shape.

Barry was completely done for as the kiss seemed to get more and more heated and he couldn't find it within him to care. Yes, there were people who could come upon them at any minute but the thought didn't seem nearly as scary as it would have done if Barry's lips weren't on hers. He was completely lost in her and nothing else seemed as important as Caitlin.

He pulled himself off the fence, swivelling their bodies and pushing her back against it instead. Caitlin only moved off it slightly so she could wrap her arms around his neck and jump up. He caught her legs effortlessly, enjoying the feel of them wrapped around his torso. They tightened around him when he finally pulled her lower lip between his own teeth and sucked on it. He'd been dying to do that ever since she bit her lip and looked at him like he was her prey.

Barry moved on to her neck, finding her sweet spot and caressing it with his mouth. Luckily Barry still had some piece of mind left as he moved back up her neck quickly and kissed her jaw. The last thing Caitlin wanted was an angry looking hickey on her neck when they were done.

Sadly, things came to an end when two guys walked past hollering loudly and whistling at the pair. Caitlin groaned and buried her head in Barry's neck in embarrassment. He chuckled at that and set her back down on the ground gently. Caitlin leant back on the fencing again and looked up at him. Their breathing was heavy and Barry leaned forward to rest his forehead on hers whilst they caught their breath.

"You're incredible." Barry whispered once he felt he was safe to speak normally. He rested one hand on the fence and leaned down slowly to plant a small chaste kiss on her lips. They lingered there for a couple of seconds after before he drew back reluctantly. He really didn't want to dive back in to a make out session when more people were around now.

"Will you come to mine again tonight?" Caitlin asked. She'd missed sharing a bed with him at night. It felt colder without him there.

"How about you come to mine? Your parents are home now and I know you hate them fussing over you." Barry smiled knowingly at Caitlin. His smile was mirrored by her own as she realised how well her really knew her.

"Yours sounds good." She said and then she grabbed his shirt and planted her own kiss on his lips before walking off and leaving him stunned.

He didn't know what the hell had happened to the shy science geek he knew, but this new Caitlin she became when she was with him was hot. So hot, he wasn't sure he could handle it. But my God, he was going to try.

-

Felicity stayed behind at school. She knew her mum was bringing home some guy tonight anyway so staying at school for as long as humanly possible was all she'd planned for the night. Normally, she'd stay over at Caitlin's but her best friend had practically glowed as she told her she was heading to Barry's. Felicity had raised an eyebrow at that but let Caitlin be and insisted she'd be fine for the evening on her own.

She decided to do the rest of her work on the bleachers on the football pitch when the librarian had told her she should go home. Yeah, Felicity bet she wouldn't want her to go home if she knew what she'd be going home to.

Felicity loved her mum and her mum was anything but easy. The guy she'd been seeing for a while now was someone Felicity didn't ever want to meet. Her dad had died when she was little and he was her hero. Just the thought of even meeting someone who could take up the vacancy of her new dad was enough to make her feel like a traitor.

So Felicity made herself scarce whenever she knew he'd be at the house. She didn't mind playing the 'dodge the new dad' game. The cool evening air soothed her and she always felt a wave of satisfaction roll over her when the breeze caressed her hair and wrapped around her.

She didn't hear him at first. It was only when he started throwing footballs in to a net that she noticed she was no longer alone. There out in the middle of the pitch was Oliver Queen. She watched in fascination as he growled furiously as he threw the ball in to the net. It was almost like he was fighting his demons with each shot he took.

She had to admit, he was something else. Beautiful even. In all his raging glory, Oliver Queen looked human. Like you could finally see him really feel something. Felicity could practically see the dangerous thought flash in his eyes before he lashed out and threw another ball in to the back of the net. He never missed.

She bit her lip and spent a few seconds looking between the two textbooks she had strategically placed before her and the bag on the floor. Maybe she could sneak away. It was rude to spy on people and she could see Oliver was going through something. It wasn't wise to stick around, no matter how much she liked the show he was putting on.

She'd made it down on to the pitch when he called out.

"Hey! What are you doing?" Felicity froze not looking up. Should she run for it? Maybe she still had time to get out before he caught up.

She walked briskly in the direction that lead her off the pitch, there was no way she was running. With her school bag she'd look like a flailing idiot trying or keep it on her shoulder as she ran. She wasn't letting Oliver see her like that.

Felicity scrunched her nose up at that. Since when did she care how Oliver Queen saw her? She didn't need to impress him.

A hand landed on her shoulder and she swivelled round and pushed him away on impulse.

"Don't sneak up on me like that! I did almost get beaten to a pulp a few weeks ago, your weird stealth mode thing doesn't help that!" She exclaimed, taking a deep breath. Just great. She'd done so well keeping her babbling on lock down around him now here she was babbling about his stealth mode. Typical.

"I'm sorry, I just wanted to know what you were doing." Felicity's eyes narrowed as she looked up on him. The look on his face was sincere and he seems genuinely sorry about giving her a scare.

She sighed. "It's fine, I'm just a little jumpy that's all." She shrugged.

Oliver nodded in understanding. "Are you going to tell me why you were watching me back there."

"I wasn't watching you! Well okay I was but I didn't mean to you just showed up all grrrr whilst I was trying to get some work done and I was trying to slip away unnoticed until you caught me." Felicity replied indignantly.

"I showed up all 'grrrr'" Oliver asked amused.

"Don't make fun of me Queen." She growled in response. She was trying hard not to enjoy the conversation as much as she was or the way she felt so good she'd gotten a smile out of him.

Oliver held his hands up in surrender. "It was just an observation of what you'd said."

"Well if we're doing the whole observation thing, your stance is off when you throw. You might be hitting the target each time but you'd get better force behind the ball if you set up the throw correctly." Felicity huffed. That should teach him.

"Ah, yes the girl that can throw a football like a pro." Oliver said, looking quite impressed with her. Felicity shrugged off how her pride swelled at that. She didn't live to impress Oliver.

Oliver cocked his head to side as he looked a her, a silent question being conveyed.

"My dad wanted a boy." Felicity said simply. "Plus it's a good stress reliever. But you already knew that." She said pointedly.

Oliver nodded with a smile on his face and gestured to the football in his hand. "You want to show me how it's done?"

Felicity opened her mouth and then shut it again. She shouldn't. She really, really shouldn't indulge him.

"I get it. You don't want to." He smiled before walking back and throwing his football in to the net.

It missed and Felicity knew his stance was even more off because he was baiting her. She threw her bag down in annoyance as she submitted to his tactics. There was no way her school's leading quarterback was throwing like that. Not if she had anything to do with it.

"Give me that." She snapped. Oliver handing to ball out to her trying to hide his amusement.

She tiredly explained what she was doing as she did it, making sure her stance was near perfect before she threw the ball at the net. She smiled with satisfaction as it landed exactly in the centre. The speed she'd gotten behind it was impressive as well. It was probably as strong as Oliver's throw and she didn't even have the kind of muscle he had going on. She was sure if he exerted himself right he could get a killer throw down.

A low whistle of appreciation escaped his lips and she turned around and gave him a 'I told you so' look.

"You definitely don't throw like a girl." Oliver said.

"Well I do. I just don't throw like most girls." Felicity said as she smiled smugly as him. Proving herself to people like Oliver always made her feel better. Especially when he was looking like her like he'd gotten her all wrong.

"Right, the whole sexism thing. Forgot about that." Oliver said as he took up his stance and threw again. He picked it up fast and Felcity could see the improvements already. His expression told her he had too.

Eventually, Felicity sat on the grass and watched, occasionally making small talk with Oliver. There were voices in the back of her mind screaming that this was an awful idea and she was the biggest traitor and worst best friend in the entire world for choosing to stay and hang out with Oliver Queen on a Friday night but she couldn't stop herself. She stayed rooted to the spot, chatting about small irrelevant topics as the sky grew darker.

When it got too dark to carry on, she took Oliver's hand as he pulled her up off the grass. She flat out ignored the tingling in her hand after he'd let it go and busied herself picking her bag up off the floor.

They walked to the parking lot in silence and Felicity didn't feel uncomfortable or awkward as they did. She felt content and a little giddy.

 _Lock it down, Smoak. Lock that shit down_.

Now wasn't the time to start to genuinely like the school's biggest playboy. She was never going to bark up that tree. No way.

"Look, Felicity. I know it's Caitlin that needs an apology more but I thought a lot about what you said when we last spoke and I get it. Watching Thea that night when we brought her home was awful. She shook in her sleep and I must've reached for the phone multiple times in fear she was fitting and needed to go to hospital. I don't think I let go of my cars keys the entire time. Just incase I needed to get her to someone who could help her. Caitlin was worse and I can't even imagine what you went through. It must've been ten times worse which is hard to think about because with Thea it felt like it was as bad as it could be. I just- I'm really sorry. And I fully understand what I'm sorry for now and I mean it."

Felicity stopped by her car and looked up at him. She saw the same flash his eyes that she'd seen as he threw those footballs earlier tonight. It hadn't even occurred to her that it was those feelings he'd been letting out but it all made sense now. He'd been so angry and helpless as she'd watched him. Like he had a weight on his shoulders he was trying to fight off.

That's why Felicity forgave him. She saw how genuinely torn up he was about it when he thought no one was watching. That was enough for her.

"Thank you." She said softly. "As far as I'm concerned you're forgiven, but you need to tackle Caitlin as well you know." She gave him her best insistent look.

"Of course. It was you I was more worried about forgiving me. I'll apologise to Caitlin when I next see her." Oliver spoke with such sincerity that Felicity knew he would.

He placed a swift kiss on her cheek before jogging over to his car and getting in. Felicity stared dumbfounded. Had he seriously just done that?

She climbed in to her car a little bit numb from it. She was glad it was dark because there was a burning in her cheeks she couldn't cover up and she was in a daze as she pulled out of the school parking lot and headed home.

What did he mean by it was her he was most worried about getting forgiveness from?

And what the hell was that kiss on the cheek?

It hadn't felt like he was trying to come on to her but it didn't feel exactly platonic either. Felicity's hand slammed on the steering wheel in frustration. And why had he been so nice and considerate? Where was that jerk she'd grown to hate over the years? She couldn't get a handle on him. Why was he so confusing? Why couldn't she figure this one out?

Oliver Queen was a mystery. One that she intended on solving even if it killed her

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! I'm so happy how on top of this story I am at the moment haha. I really hate it when my favourite fics don't get updated regularly so I'm trying to make sure I don't fall in to the same habits!
> 
> Thank you so much for all your support and kudos! Put makes my day that you take the time to say what you thought. I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as you've enjoed the others x


	7. You Didn't Look Desperate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanted to get this up! It's not been proof read so excuse any mistakes, I'll correct them when I can

Caitlin was nervous. It wasn't like she hadn't been round the Queen mansion before but this time was different. She was flushing at every turn thinking about how different things were with Barry since she'd last passed a particular painting in the hallway or an ornament on the fireplace.

Barry didn't say anything much to her relief. The small upward tilt of his lips suggested he'd definitely noticed her discomfort. She jumped as he slid his hand in to hers when they entered the kitchen. The small laugh he let out at that made Caitlin narrow her eyes and tug his hand sharply in reply.

He absently pulled her hand back and she crashed in to his side rather ungracefully, her hand splayed on his chest to help her balance. His hand slid out of her own and curled around her hip to keep her pressed against his side. Caitlin sighed and relaxed in to him, giving up easily, knowing him well enough to know if she wriggled her way out, he'd find another way to keep her close.

She wasn't complaining really. Barry seemed insistent on not trying to hide her from anyone in the house and it made Caitlin so happy that he wasn't ashamed of her. Let's face it, she was a hot mess after everything and she appreciated that even with all her crappy baggage, Barry hadn't been put off.

Raisa had given them both a warm smile as she handed them some snacks before Barry had steered them off again in to one of the smaller rooms in the mansion. Caitlin wasn't a fan of the huge rooms that the mansion mainly consisted of but there was one that was only slightly smaller that she'd always found cosy. They had a fireplace that was always roaring below a huge tv that faced two plush sofas covered in blankets and so many cushions you had to discard most of them on the floor to actually fit on there yourself.

Barry and Caitlin naturally settled in to each other without much discussion. It was like their bodies fit perfectly together no matter how they sat.

Tonight was different to their regular movie nights though. Neither one had brought up the admittedly super hot make out session under the bleachers earlier. It didn't mean their bodies weren't discussing it though. Caitlin was immediately aware of the shape of his body and the feel of his thighs under hers. Her hand twitched slightly as it rested on his abs that she could feel beneath the thin shirt he was wearing. She knew the reason he shifted slightly every few minutes was that Barry was having a hard time focusing on the film as well. It wasn't even suggestive the way they were sat and yet it still felt as seductive as when his hands were beneath her top earlier that day.

Caitlin sighed in frustration and wiggled her hips so she could get in position to rest her head on his shoulder. He hummed as she moved and his hand lifted off her arm and settled on her waist instead as she got comfier.

-

Barry was struggling to say the least. He wondered if Caitlin was aware that with each rise and fall of her chest, her breast would graze over his body ever so slightly. He probably wouldn't have noticed it with anyone else tucked in to his side like this, but Caitlin was a different story. Every inch of his skin her body was in contact with burned with need.

Barry wasn't an animal though. He was a gentleman at all costs with any girl he dated. He waited for the right moment and he didn't ever make people feel like he wanted more from them than what he was getting. It was always up to her when she was ready to take those steps.

So why was it so hard to find that control he normally had? Barry couldn't even comprehend how he'd ever been so patient with his exes. He was almost breaking a sweat trying to keep his hand on her hip instead of letting it wander.

Caitlin's fingers would flex over his stomach every now and then which seemed to only make it harder for him to think of reasons why it was such a bad idea to pull her on to his lap and take matters in to his own hands.

Barry slowly started to moved his hand up to her waist, brushing his fingers over the skin that was exposed where her top had ridden up. He felt like he was sixteen again pulling cheesy moves in the cinema on his date, praying to God she wouldn't reject him.

Caitlin turned away from the tv to stare up at him. Even though there was that one frown line on her forehead, he could tell she'd been anticipating his move.

He kept his gaze trained on her as he took her arm and slowly pulled her on to his lap. She followed his movements easily, straddling his lap. Her hair fell in curls, framing her face and instead of moving it out of the way he thread his fingers through hers and leaned in.

It was a slow, sweet kiss. Even with his need to devour her he still slowed down long enough to savour the feel of her lips gently massaging his. They pulled away until they were barley an inch apart. Neither wanting to create too much distance. Caitlin wore a shy smile as she pushed her hair out of her face.

She let out a small laugh, amused at a little joke in her head before she leaned forward the tiniest bit and nudged her nose against Barry's. It was an intimate gesture and his heart swelled as her thumb brushed along the underside of his jaw affectionately.

"Cait, I-"

"I know Barry." She said softly, kissing the edge of his lips.

Barry wondered if she did know. Did she really know what he wanted to do to her? Did she realise how thin his control was wearing as she shifted on his lap and her hands found new parts of his body for her fingers to trail over? It wasn't like the fantasies he'd had about Caitlin were a new thing. He'd been slowly developing feelings for her over their time as friends. Of course, he hadn't acted on them when he'd realised he wanted more from her than her friendship. He hadn't really been experienced back then and was more than nervous. Becoming part of the Queen family had changed his image and given him confidence when it came to girls.

Everybody knows the saying 'when you know, you know'. Well, in one way or another Barry had always known it was Caitlin. Whether it was in the back of his mind or the only thing he could think about it was always there. Like when someone will always subconsciously know that at the end of the line it will always be that one person with them.

So that's probably why it didn't feel rushed at all. Not when he moved to lock the door and not even when he let Caitlin tug his shirt over his head and discarded it on the floor.

He watched her as she peeled off her own top and it landed right next to his at their feet. He picked her up and laid her gently back on the sofa. As his hands slid down her body, he took her jeans with them. Caitlin's fingers hooked around his belt loops and she pulled his hips down to meet hers.

She wasn't as swift with removing his belt but he liked that it wasn't perfect and that he had to interfere and slide them off his hips himself. She was smiling in amusement and didn't seem phased at all. Her main goal was to just get them off. His lips found hers and his hands found her bra clasp, expertly undoing it and discarding that too.

The loss of material on her breasts was soon replaced by his hands. He made a habit of pulling away from her lips so he could hear her moan every time she found pleasure in the way his hands massaged her breasts ad stroked her burning skin. Her own small hands were running up and down his abs, travelling lower each time, taunting him.

Barry didn't have enough power to prolong foreplay. Each time her breasts pressed against his chest he lost a little bit more of his control. He had to grind his hips against her just to ease the ache. It didn't work though and he'd never felt more uncomfortable in his boxers than he did in that moment.

He growled under his breath and shed the last pieces of clothing separating them. She was beautiful. He only caught a glimpse of her before her legs had wrapped around him as she whimpered, begging for more.

"I want you so badly." He whispered in to her neck teasing her entrance and testing how ready she was. He groaned and bit down on her neck as he realised she was beyond ready for this.

He gripped her thighs tightly and used one hard thrust to fill her completely. Caitlin cried out in pleasure, her hand gripped his neck tightly as she adjusted to his size. His forehead rested on hers as he waited. Caitlin however grew impatient and moved her hips upwards to spur him in to action.

Barry was going to take it slow but the thought of doing it any other way but fast and hard sounded absurd to him. Each thrust was as punishing as the last and with Caitlin moving her hips to match his pace, it was ecstasy. She gripped him tightly and her breathing was getting heavier. Barry felt it when she got her release but she muted her cries by crashing her lips on to his, pulling her body up off the sofa as she did.

Barry flipped them over so she was straddling him. He wanted to finish what she'd started when she'd crawled in to his lap. As soon as she'd straddled him, he'd known he wanted to fall apart with her in that exact position.

He didn't give her long to recover. He couldn't. So as she sought out his swollen lips again, his hands curled around her hips and he guided her up and down his length. As soon as she started moving to her own accord, Barry let her takeover. It was her turn to set the pace and show him how she wanted it.

She was greedy. Every thrust had to fill her completely and she wasn't afraid of going too far or pushing down too hard. Her hands ran aggressively over his chest as she moved, the tips of her nails dragging over his skin. Not hard enough to pierce his skin but enough for him to shudder under her touch. He couldn't complain though, not with the bruising grip he had on her hips. His fingers digging into her soft flesh the closer she took him to the edge.

It took the second time her walls tightened around him for his own release. His hips kept moving, dragging out both orgasms and drawing as much pleasure as he could from that one moment.

Caitlin fell on his chest, breathing heavily. Her hand ran up his chest and rested on his collarbone. It took a lot but she lifted her head and placed a kiss on his lips before laying her head back on his chest.

Barry used his free hand, the one that wasn't running up and down Caitlin's spine, to pick a blanket off the floor and drape it over their naked bodies. He shifted under it, aiming to achieve a more comfy position for her but he was stopped.

"Don't." She said softly. "I want you inside me when we wake up." She muttered.

Barry smiled at that. No one ever saw this Caitlin. The one that seduced him under the bleachers and requested for him to stay inside her as they slept. She was a far cry from the shy, good girl in school. Barry found he liked both of them a lot. He couldn't imagine a part of her he wouldn't love.

"As you wish." He whispered, kissing her hair gently before succumbing to his tiredness.

-

Felicity walked in to school on Monday morning nervous. She hadn't managed to speak with Caitlin before and she wanted desperately to tell her best friend what she'd done. Or what she'd said. Whichever one, she needed to let Caitlin know that she'd forgiven Oliver before she found out from anyone else. Not that she thought Oliver would go around running his mouth about that but she was till panicking nonetheless.

"Lis! Hey, sorry I didn't return your calls my head was all over the place." Caitlin said, walking up to Felicity and opening up her locker beside hers.

"That's fine, but I really need to talk to you." Felicity said.

"Yeah sure what's up?" Caitlin asked, sensing Felicity's discomfort.

"I was with Oliver on Friday night." Caitlin opened her mouth to say something but Felicity held up her hand and cut her off before she could. "Don't ask. I just wanted to tell you that I forgave him. The way he was and how he was beating himself up over it, I just knew he meant it. I thought you should know. No secrets and all that." Felicity shrugged lightly, looking away hoping Caitlin wasn't mad.

"Lis, if you feel like he meant it and you forgave him then great." Caitlin smiled. "You're the toughest one of us to crack and if he got far enough past your walls for you to even consider forgiving him then I'm okay with it. You're more loyal than anyone I know, that's why I'm not mad."

"Oh thank god!" Felicity let out the breath she'd been holding and pulling Caitlin in to a hug.

Caitlin laughed and hugged her back.

"Was that the reason I had so many missed calls? You were worried about that?" Caitlin asked amused.

"Well when you're already forgiving me and whatever the incessant calling does seem too much but I didn't know that! At the time I thought you might bite my head off for forgiving him." Felicity threw her hands up exasperatedly.

Caitlin laughed again at Felicity's tendency to go for the dramatic. It was then she felt a familiar arm settle over her shoulders. She automatically turned in to the warm body beside her and planted a kiss on Barry's lips.

"Finally gave in to all that sexual tension then? Good. It was almost suffocating being around you two." Felicity said, slamming her locker shut and leaning against it with her arms folded.

"What sexual tension?" A voice from behind startled her and she jumped out her skin, her shoulder bumping against the locker.

She swivelled round and smacked the person of cause in the stomach.

"Oliver! We talked about your stealth mode. You are trying to give me a heart attack." Felicity growled rubbing her shoulder even though it barely hurt. Sometimes you had to put on a show to prove a point.

"You barely touched that locker with your shoulder and FYI you told me not to grab your arm from behind without you knowing. All I did was speak." Oliver said pointedly.

"Smartass." Felicity muttered under her breath, glaring at him.

"That's rude." He gave her a look and she replied by sticking out her tongue. He offered a small smile of amusement before his face turned serious and he spoke to Caitlin. "Can I talk to you please?"

Caitlin shook her head. "There's no need."

"Please, I know I messed up but I'd really like to make a serious apology this time." Oliver protested.

Caitlin shook her head again but smiled this time. "Look, Lis told me about your apology and if she's forgiven you then that pretty much seals the deal." Caitlin hesitated and looked up at Barry whose clutch on her shoulder had tightened reassuringly. "That being said, yes, we should probably talk."

"Thanks, I appreciate it." Oliver said already following Caitlin down the hall where it was quieter. "Barry you can come too if you want." With that, Barry's hand had already found Caitlin's waist as he caught up and stood by her side, looking at Oliver expectantly.

"I know it was just going to be a stupid prank and you'd get a little pissed off and walk away unharmed but that doesn't excuse what we did. It would have been awful without what else happened. I'm really sorry that I didn't think about what this would do to you or how shit you'd feel after, it was stupid and I'm not in a hurry to do anything like that again. I'm also sorry about how I acted after. It must've been hard watching me and Tommy continue to be assholes even after what happened with you." Oliver took a deep breath as he finished.

"That's all we wanted you know." Caitlin said. Oliver tilted his head in confusion. "We just wanted you to realise how wrong your games with girls were and give up on them."

Oliver nodded, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. He never apologised and saying sorry never ceased to make him feel ten times smaller.

"We're not friends. But I'm not mad anymore. I forgive you, but I can't be around you and have to be reminded of what happened." Caitlin looked down at the floor.

Barry kissed her forehead on instinct, comforting her. Her eyes shut as she tuned in to the feel of his lips on her skin. Her hand found his resting on her hip as she opened her eyes and smiled gratefully at him.

"I understand." Oliver said.

Barry looked over and sighed. "You're my brother, nothing's going to change that. I'm still not okay with what happened but I've seen how much you've regretted this over the past few weeks and I know you're changed. We're good, but if you ever try and hurt Caitlin again we're finished."

Oliver was surprised at the possessive tone Barry's voice took. His brother was never so aggressive over girls. He eyes flitted between the two in front of him before he nodded again.

The two left then and Barry clapped his hand on Oliver's shoulder before following his girlfriend down the hall to class.

-

"Hey Lis, now that you don't hate my brother can you please drive him home after practice?" Barry asked Felicity hopefully.

"Why the hell can't you do it?" Felicity asked annoyed. She'd been forced to sit down at the table tonight and have dinner with her mum's new squeeze. Driving Oliver home meant she'd barely make it back in time.

"Because I drove him to school this morning not realising I was taking Caitlin out after practice. I can't bail on our first official date. Please Felicity?" Barry begged her.

"Does this mean I'm going to have to sit on the bleachers with Caitlin and watch all the footballers practice?" Felicity asked grumpily.

"Yes but you don't have to watch!" Barry said.

"No. I will not be reduced to a lovesick teenager pining after the football team on the bleachers whilst they practice." She snapped back, not impressed by this conversation.

"Aw come on Lis. Do it for Caitlin! How do you think she'd feel if she had to endure a car ride with Oliver on our first date?" Barry knew how desperate he sounded at the moment but he'd never wanted any date to go as perfectly as Caitlin's. Making her sit in the car with Oliver as he drove his brother home wasn't the best start.

Felicity rested her head on her locker, already regretting her decision. "Fine. But you owe me." She pointed at him accusingly before walking off down the hall.

-

Felicity wasn't in the best mood as she leant against her car, waiting for Oliver to come out so she could take him home. It hadn't been an amazing experience sat bored to death on the bleachers watching the team practice.

Barry was constantly looking back a Caitlin on the bleachers as if she was going to disappear at any moment. Felicity had rolled her eyes at how disgustingly in love her two friends were. They'd crushed on each other for as long as she could remember even with the boyfriends and girlfriends they'd had along the way. So she wasn't surprised that they looked completely besotted after only so long together.

She'd been wishing the minutes away. Caitlin could barely hold a conversation as she concentrated on Barry on the field. Felicity hoped her best friend still made time for her even with Barry in the picture. The thought that Felicity should probably get a boyfriend so she didn't feel too lonely crossed her mind but she shook it away. There was no way she was getting a boyfriend just so she could be busy with him when Caitlin was busy with Barry. That's not the way it should work.

Oliver had glanced her way a couple of times but she'd tried not to hold his gaze too long. He did not need to know she found it difficult to look away sometimes. She was sure it was nothing. She had always been a curious person. He intrigued her more than anything. She was sure it was the fact that he was a closed book that drew her towards him. She was insistent that she would try and figure him out. She'd know it would bug her forever if she didn't at least scratch the surface with him.

Tommy frowned at them both sat on the bleachers watching and Felicity sent him a dirty look right back. He hadn't even attempted to apologise yet so as far as she was concerned she still hated his guts. At least Oliver has strapped on a pair and apologised. Tommy hadn't even hinted he wanted to follow in his best friends footsteps.

She didn't even want to think about the weird looks she got from the other girls on the bleachers. They looked at her as if she'd grown a second head. She didn't care what they thought but the constant staring was enough to drive her crazy. She was thinking about saying something but in the end she just sat there sulking, hoping this torture would be over soon.

Oliver walked over with his gym bag slung over his shoulder. She automatically opened up the trunk and let him dump it in there. She ignored the hollers and suggestive noises of Oliver's obnoxious friends as he climbed in to her passenger seat. Let them think what they want.

"Barry blackmailed you?" Oliver asked as they pulled out the parking lot and headed to the mansion.

"How did you know?" Felicity asked surprised.

"Well there was the frown cemented on your face for the whole practice and the glare you gave him as he came out and walked over to Caitlin." Oliver said.

"Barry knows I don't like sitting on the bleachers with all those desperate girls hoping someone from the team will notice them and whisk them off in to happily ever after." She grumbled in reply, eyes on the road.

"Surprisingly, those girls are the ones that the football team want to hook up with the least. Desperation doesn't work as much of a turn on." Oliver said absently staring out the window.

"So basically you like a challenge?" Felicity replied bitterly. It felt wrong talking about this but the awkward silence that would be present without the conversation was less appealing to her.

Oliver shrugged. "I'm not sure. It's nice to know they want you, but it gets annoying when they're constantly throwing themselves at you and clinging hopelessly to dreams of marriage and babies. It would be really nice if one of the girls we meet didn't start talking marriage and our future after the first couple of months."

"Seriously? They talk about stuff like that so soon?" Felicity laughed as Oliver grimaced and nodded in reply.

"Wow, that's extreme. I freaked out when my ex wanted to have his own tooth brush at mine, I can't imagine what I'd have done if he'd have started talking marriage." Felicity shook her head smiling.

"His own tooth brush? That's a really weird request." Oliver said. His tone had gotten a little sharper but Felicity dismissed it. She was too stubborn to consider it might be jealousy she was hearing in his voice.

"Well Cooper stayed at mine a lot when his parents fought so I think he purely meant it for logical reasons. I still panicked though." She shrugged.

"It's weird you weren't in to the commitment thing. Most girls are."

"I'm not most girls. I don't know, I think I would be really in to it if I met someone I really liked but there's never been anyone that special."

"Maybe that's the same for me."

"Maybe." She smiled back at him.

Sooner than he would have liked, they pulled in to the Queen mansion driveway. Oliver didn't understand why, but he was drawn to Felicity. He'd been constantly scolding himself since Friday night. He shouldn't have kissed her on the cheek. She wasn't someone he deserved.

Oliver knew his ways and even if what he felt around Felicity was more than what he usually felt around girls, he knew he'd mess it up and play the same games he played with them all. It was all he'd ever known and he didn't know how to treat someone the way she deserved to be treated. It was selfish to pursue something with her when she could have something more than what he had to offer.

Plus, he knew that no matter how hard she tried, there would be part of her that would always see him as the guy who played a prank on her best friend that got her drugged and hospitalised. Even knowing that, she saved his sister from the same fate. It would have been the ultimate revenge to leave Thea there in that club but she hadn't and he didn't know how to handle someone so good and pure.

When the car pulled up, he followed her to the trunk and pulled out his gym bag. He turned to her to say something but the words got stuck in his throat.

"I'll see you at school tomorrow Oliver." She said and turned away. Instinctively his arm went out and pulled her back around.

"I- Thank you for the lift, I appreciate it." He said. It wasn't smooth and he wanted the ground to swallow him up. "And you didn't look desperate. You looked like a good friend to Caitlin."

With that, her arm was released from her hold and he watched her drive off. He thought it was funny how the one girl you wanted the most was the one who was way out of your league.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I loved the reaction to the snowbarry make out session it was amazing haha, I'm so pleased everyone is enjoying it so much. I know olicity is taking a long time but there is trust to build and a lot more complications with them. That's all part of the fun though ;) 
> 
> As always, I really appreciate all your comments. I'm making a personal goal to reply to them as much as possible but I'm very busy at the moment. I'm definitely going to try harder to respond though x


	8. You Feel That?

"Come on Tommy, just get it over with." Oliver sighed as they sat at the bar over a couple of drinks.

"No man, I'm not doing it." Tommy snapped, tired of having this conversation over and over.

"What's so difficult? I did it, why can't you?" Oliver asked.

"I'm not apologising! Just leave it Ollie." Tommy growled, downing the rest of his drink.

"I'm not going to leave it! I nearly lost my brother over this and Thea has barely spoken to either of us since she found out. She's going to appreciate it when we've both apologised." Oliver's reasoning made sense and Tommy was having a hard time coming up with answers that were a good enough argument.

"Well she can just appreciate you. I'm not doing it."

"This is ridiculous. It's just an apology!" Oliver said, getting more annoyed by the minute.

"We didn't even do anything wrong! It was that creep that drugged her, not us. Why should we apologise for something that was out of our control? Plus, you framed her, I just went with it." Tommy reasoned, raising his voice.

"Because she was our responsibility and she got hurt on our watch." Oliver said, finally understanding his best friend's reluctance to apologise.

"Well when you put it like that," Tommy muttered grumpily under his breath as he signalled the bartender for another drink.

"Does that mean you'll do it?" Oliver asked hopefully.

"For Thea." Tommy grumbled.

"Not perfect, but I'll take it. Don't let Caitlin or Barry know you're only doing it for Thea." Oliver said pointedly.

"What about Felicity?" Tommy asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Her too." Oliver agreed with a glint in his eye. "She'll kick your ass if she finds out. Guaranteed."

-

"Did you just-?" Caitlin asked, unusually speechless.

Tommy sighed. "Yes. I said I'm sorry. Is that so hard to believe?" He asked grumpily. It was bad enough he was having to do it in front of half the school field, he didn't need Caitlin questioning him and prolonging it any further.

"No I didn't mean that. I meant did you seriously just think you could come here looking like someone who's being forced into an apology and I'd forgive you? What do you take me for?" Caitlin asked incredulously. Did she really appear to be so gullible?

"Um," Tommy's mouth open and shut but for once in his life, his words failed him. His charm wouldn't work on this one and talking sincerely to others wasn't exactly his forté.

"Tommy, I don't have time to deal with you forcing out the word 'sorry' through gritted teeth. Just let me eat my lunch in peace." Caitlin responded.

Even if it was subtle, Tommy could see the way her face had fallen since he'd approached. It struck him for the first time that maybe Caitlin needed an apology from him and Oliver more than he realised. Obviously Oliver had already done the deed and managed to make amends with everyone besides Thea. Tommy could feel the pressure mounting as he understood the gravity of the situation. It was all about closure. His lack of acknowledgement of what had happened and reluctance to apologise was holding Caitlin back from trying to move on.

Barry could only do so much before other people had to step in. That's when the guilt settled in.

"I didn't want to admit it okay?" Tommy sighed. He was annoyed he was going to have to make a big speech and make a fool out of himself but if it made Caitlin feel any better then he'd do it. He owed her that much.

"Admit what?" Caitlin asked, although Tommy bet she already knew what he was sorry for.

"That I'm capable of being that guy. The one that didn't even notice when some creep tried to take advantage. I didn't even know I could stoop so low and every time I thought about apologising to you it made me feel worse about myself. The fact that I had to apologise for such an horrific thing was terrifying. I didn't want to apolgise because that meant I was admitting to being a horrible person and I couldn't handle that. Keeping quiet and wishing it would go away seemed like a better option." His hands were shoved deep in his pockets as he squirmed uncomfortably under Caitlin's gaze.

"I get that." She nodded. Tommy let out a sigh of relief. "But apologising for something doesn't make you a bad person. Just for future reference." Caitlin added with a small smile. It didn't really reach her eyes but Tommy took what he could get.

"I'll keep that in mind. I am sorry though Caitlin, about a lot of things." He replied.

Caitlin shook her head and looked up before meeting his gaze again. "You feel that?"

"Feel what?"

"The weight on our shoulders being lifted. Feels good right?" Caitlin smiled again, this one lighting up her eyes in the process.

Tommy let out a breathy laugh. "Yeah it feels pretty damn great actually."

Caitlin let out a small laugh as well before waving to someone behind Tommy.

"Everything okay here?" Felicity asked cautiously, settling down next to Caitlin at the table she'd bagged for them.

"Perfect. Tommy was just apologising." Caitlin said, shrugging lightly at her best friend's raised eyebrows.

"Did Thea put you up to this?" Felicity asked haughtily, still mad it had taken Tommy so long to grow a pair and admit he was wrong.

"No. Oliver." Tommy said, looking directly at Felicity as he said so.

"Oh." Was all she managed as a reply.

"Yeah, he was pretty mad at me for taking so long." Tommy shook his head lightly at the argument they'd had over this.

"What did he do, threaten to beat you up?" Felicity asked, joking.

"No. He threatened that you would." Tommy said, folding his arms over his chest and anticipating Felicity's reaction.

Felicity blinked in shock. It was then that her eyes lit up as she spoke. "Damn right I would."

Tommy smirked at her reaction knowingly before leaving the two girls to their lunch. He needed to find Oliver and let him know he'd finally stepped up to the mark. The only person left to tackle now was Thea.

-

Felicity grumbled to herself as she sat on the bleachers anticipating the next few hours she'd waste here before heading home where hopefully her mum had shipped off her man. His visits were getting more frequent and that meant Felicity was home less often. Caitlin and Barry were a cute couple so Felicity didn't mind that her best friend sometimes wouldn't be able to offer up her home as a refuge when she needed it.

That being said, there were only so many times you could sit on the bleachers after everyone went home before you started to feel like a bit of a loner. So that's why she was grumpy as she tried to concentrate on the book she was reading. Passing the time was easier when she had something to mull over whilst she waited her mum out.

"I shouldn't be surprised that you're here." Oliver said quietly, trying not to startle her.

Felicity jumped anyway and cursed quietly as she scrambled to keep her book in her hands.

"We talked about this Oliver." She didn't appreciate the chuckle that escaped his lips as she shoved her book in her bag and stood to face him.

"Maybe you should be a little bit more aware of your surroundings." He joked, although there was serious undertone there and Felicity had to shake off the ridiculous idea that he was concerned as it popped in to her head.

"I am. It's only you that manages to sneak up on me. You know, your attempts to give me a heart attack aren't my favourite things in the world." She crossed her arms and looked up at him. A small smile played on her lips when she saw his sheepish expression.

"Trust me the last thing I'm doing it trying to give you a heart attack." He smiled back.

Oliver had never felt so good about making someone smile before. He didn't know it could feel so good to be the sole reason someone had a smile on their face. No matter how small Felicity's was, it was there and he could see how genuine it was in her eyes. His response to her smile was natural. Easy.

Oliver's face fell when he realised that he might have been flirting with her. He cursed mentally at his stupidity. There was no way he was going to screw this things up with Felicity. He needed to lock his shit down when it came to her. It was going to be harder than he thought.

"So can I ask why you're here alone?" He quickly changed the subject.

"Personal stuff. Avoiding awkward situations and people I don't like. You?" She asked. Oliver respected her reluctance to over-share with him and didn't push her further.

"The field helps clear my mind." He shrugged and his heart swelled as she smiled again at him knowingly. She seemed amused by his determination to be just as vague as her.

"Good to know." She nodded and looked out on to the field. She wasn't sure what to say next or even if she should say something and keep the conversation going. Wasn't this wrong? Even if she had forgiven him, she'd known that a friendship on top of forgiveness was off the table.

"I don't know how long you're planning on staying out here and avoiding whatever it is that you are but if you want you can come back to mine." Oliver said. His eyes widened as her saw Felicity's shocked expression. "Not like that! It's just Thea's home and I think she'd like seeing you. I won't even be with you I promise."

Felicity tilted her head and studied his expression for a minute. Normally she had a good radar with boys and knew straight away which ones were trouble. Oliver was more complicated. The more time she spent with him, the more confused she got. You couldn't really out him in a category, he just flitted from one to the other. It was frustrating that she couldn't place him somewhere and keep him there. Oliver only existed in her mind by his own definition.

After a few moments of staring at him lost in thought she nodded her head quickly and walked past him to her car. She didn't allow him to catch up to her so he couldn't see the blush she was sporting.

-

Before they got inside the mansion, Felicity put her hand on Oliver's arm. He looked down at her curiously.

"Before we go in there I want you to know I can't convince Thea to forgive you. She needs to do that on her own." Felicity said. The hurt that flashed across Oliver's face stung but she needed to say it. She wasn't going to play the part of a peacemaker.

"I didn't invite you to see Thea for that." Oliver said, his frown deepening by the second.

"I know, but I needed to get it off my chest. I don't want you to expect things from me and come out the other end disappointed." Felicity said softly, trying to calm him down.

"I'm not expecting anything from you. I know you'd never do that anyway I just wanted Thea to have a friend." Oliver glared.

"Okay then." She nodded once and clamped her mouth shut before she said someone she'd regret. Sometimes being feisty had a downside.

"Glad we sorted that out." Oliver huffed, obviously still offended. Felicity didn't seem bothered though, she'd said her peace and now she wanted to see Thea. Oliver could be grumpy elsewhere. It's not like she was there to impress him or establish a friendship anyway. That's what she kept repeating to herself as she climbed the stairs leading to Thea's room.

-

Barry was torn as to what to do. Iris had called him early in the evening and requested that he meet her. He hadn't really spoken with Iris since he'd cancelled their date the night Caitlin was drugged. He knew there was unfinished business with his previous sort of girlfriend as he never really gave her any closure.

He'd agreed to meet her for dinner later and he was dreading it. Barry wasn't a bad guy but he did feel he'd left strings attached to Iris when he'd declared Caitlin his girlfriend. Even though he wasn't, he felt unfaithful and a bit of a player. That didn't sit well with him and he owed Iris this dinner and the closure and explanation she deserved.

He'd explained to Caitlin he was going out to dinner with a friend and she'd simply nodded and carried on with what she was doing. Her trust in him was admirable and sometimes Barry wondered what he'd done to deserve someone like Cait in his life. Sometimes when she smiled at him like she was the happiest person in the world, he wondered how someone so beautiful could have such ugly things happen to them. It didn't equate to him.

That's why Iris needed to know he was done. Done with anyone who wasn't Caitlin. His girlfriend had been through so much hurt and pain that he needed to clean up any mess that might threaten their relationship. He was determined he wasn't going to be the guy who came to a relationship with baggage in the form of unfinished business with other girls. Once he'd sent Iris on her way, he'd finally be able to breathe.

-

Caitlin decided to join Felicity and Thea after Barry left for his dinner. She didn't want to wait around bored at home and she knew Felicity would be about seeing as she was avoiding going home for the third time this week.

Coincidentally, the girls wanted to go out for dinner as soon as Caitlin mentioned that was exactly what Barry was up to. So they'd donned their coats and headed to their all time favourite place for food: Big Belly Burger.

It was nice to see Thea looking so happy. She'd noticed the tension in her posture ever since she'd vowed she didn't want anything to do with Oliver and Tommy. Seeing them in a new light had really taken it's toll on the younger Queen. Caitlin was glad that hers and Felicity's company seems to lift nearly all that tension.

Caitlin burst out laughing at Felicity's clumsiness as she shoulder the door as they walked in. Felicity tried all she could to improve that quality about herself but over the years she never got any more graceful. She wouldn't really be the Felicity Caitlin loved so much without her tendency to bump in to everything and trip on air.

It was only when she slid in to the booth that she finally saw the pair of brown eyes focused on hers. Caitlin's expression dropped as she realised the situation before her.

-

"Ready?" Oliver said, looking over at his best friend.

Tommy nodded with a grim but determined look on his face. He pulled up the hood of his blue hoodie and Oliver did the same with his green one.

Ever since Thea, Tommy and Oliver had felt more and more helpless about what to do. Yes, Thea was okay and she'd survived but no one was paying the price. Nothing had happened that made any of them feel better about letting anyone they cared about go out with friends. There was no control on the situation and that's what the two friends couldn't handle.

So hovering about a few clubs didn't seem like a bad place to start. Oliver wasn't stupid though and he'd told Tommy that tonight was strictly about seeing who were the predators. When they knew what they were dealing with, then they'd take the law in to their own hands. This wasn't a way to unleash pent up anger, this was their chance to put an end to what was happening.

Detective Lance had clocked Oliver's expression at the station when he collected Thea and told him not to do anything stupid. However the police weren't doing anything. They had nothing to go on so they'd just dropped it. There was no intel gathering or anything. They'd shrugged it off. Oliver had a feeling the only time they'd actually pay attention to what was happening was when someone died from it. Something about waiting for the crime to happen before the punishment seems wrong. Even if it was in regulations with the justice system.

The club where Felicity worked seemed a good place to start. Tommy turned his nose up in disgust at some of the creeps that they saw in there. Sober, everything and everyone seemed more suspicious and tacky. Both playboys were wondering why they seemed to like them so much when they'd had a few.

Oliver's blood boiled as he saw one man grab a girl's ass without her consent. His stomach churned when he realised she was staff. Shit, was this what Felicity had to deal with when she was in shift. His fists clenched by his side as he restrained himself from going over there and teaching that guy how you treated women properly. Sure, him and Tommy played games but they would never touch a girl in that way without her consent. They weren't monsters. Idiots maybe, but definitely not monsters.

"I have more respect for Smoak if she has to deal with this every day she's at work." Tommy said to Oliver, his face still screwed up in disgust at what he was seeing.

"Let's focus on the job Tommy." Oliver half murmured over the thumping bass of the music. Tommy nodded, even though he probably only caught half the sentence, if that.

Tommy lead the way through the floor, discreetly glancing up every so often to eye up any potential threats. It was only when a drunk girl stumbled in to him that he found what they were looking for. His elbow knocked a man's hand accidentally and a small plastic containers got caught under Oliver's foot as the man dropped it.

It was only when Oliver retrieved it and clear liquid spilled from it that he understood what they'd fallen in to. His whole face tightened as he tried his hardest to bluff his way out of it. He made sure it had all spilled before he planted it back in the man's outstretched hand and apologised for his drunken friend.

The man himself didn't even look like a suspect. He was well groomed, dressed well and Oliver didn't even think there was anything in his face that gave him away.

Oliver dragged Tommy off quickly, deciding he'd had enough for one night. He was already fuming about the man handler he'd seen earlier, now he'd potentially looked in to the face of his sister's drugged, it was too much. He was about to erupt.

"Dude, did you see how fucking normal that guy looked? I would have never-"

"I know." Oliver snapped angrily as he paced the pavement a few blocks down from the club.

"Let it out man, I'm just as mad as you." Tommy said as he ran a hand aggressively through his hair. "I wish I'd really shoved into him rather than just knocked his hand the creep."

"Are you sure all you wished you'd done was shove in to him?" Oliver asked morbidly.

"You don't even want to know what I'm wishing upon that asshole." Tommy muttered more to himself than Oliver.

"Felicity said there were three man following them so it's not just him. We can't take down one without the others. Not if we want to do this right." Oliver spoke with a darkness Tommy hadn't seen in him before.

Tommy didn't even blink at his friends change in demeanour. He wasn't far from what place Oliver was in himself. Now that they'd seen it in the flesh, it made it seem more real if that was even possible. And what was so strange was that seeing how stupidly normal that guy looked made him feel even more nauseous than if he was just scum off the street. The stereotype had been destroyed and now everyone was a potential suspect. That was the most fearful thought they both had in those moments in the street down from the club.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay but I decided to change the direction of where I was going with the story. It wasn't anything too drastic but I had to move a few things around to make it work :)
> 
> As always I'm so thrilled with the comments and feedback you give me. Honestly it's always a surprise when you guys say you like it so much. Also thanks so much for everyone who completely understood why Felicity and Oliver are taking while to happen. That meant a lot x


	9. I Was Nearly There

Barry smiled sheepishly at Caitlin. His expression was indicating he was uncomfortablie seeing her here and Caitlin didn't know what to think of that. His worried eyes were enough to make her heart drop harshly at the realisation she could have just walked in on something that could ruin her new relationship. 

"Hey Cait!" Iris beamed, jumping up from her seat and heading over to the three girls.

"Iris! Hey!" Caitlin smiled and returned Iris' hug happily. For a minute there she'd thought Iris had been someone else and she managed to mask her sigh on relief well when she realised she was wrong. The whole situation could have gone a completely different way otherwise.

"What are you doing here?" Iris asked.

"I'm grabbing some food with the girls before heading back for movie night. You?"

"Just catching up with an old friend." Iris gestured behind her and Caitlin smiled warmly at her boyfriend sat at the table.

"Hey, you didn't tell me Iris was the friend you were meeting." Caitlin said resting her hand on his arm. She knew deep down what Barry's reason for not telling would be though. she was itching to smack his arm for being such a dumbass and almost giving her a heart attack. Thank god she'd known about Iris before. 

"I didn't want you to assume the worst." Barry mumbled ducking his head in shame.

Caitlin laughed lightly and sat in his lap. "I knew you and Iris had a thing before us. We talked about it in chemistry." She kissed his cheek sweetly in reassurance. He blinked once, dumbfounded, not sure how to take the news.

Barry chuckled lightly at his stupidity about the entire thing before wrapping his arms around Caitlin tightly. He planted a kiss on her lips for good measure.

"I'm so lucky to have you." He smiled and pecked her lips again. "And you're coming home with me. Sorry girls." He grinned in apology.

Felicity laughed at his boldness but nodded in approval. She didn't mind spending her night without her best friend. Especially when Caitlin was in such good hands. Barry was good for Caitlin. Felicity couldn't help but think there wasn't anyone else she could pick who was more suited to her best friend.

-

Felicity's work had always been shit with a capital S, H, I, T. But she needed the money. Sure she was a shoe-in for a scholarship but that didn't include other costs she was sure she needed to cover. So Felicity shut her mouth and picked up glasses around the club, eyes on the floor. One look at some of the characters in here and she was basically offering herself. What a dump.

Felicity had been reluctant at first when she came back to work after Thea but now it was as if nothing happened. Still the same people, still the same place. She hadn't seen those men again and she was hoping she never would. Not that she was scared. However Felicity had a short temper and she didn't trust herself to not do something stupid when she saw them. Like start a fight she couldn't finish.

Last thing she expected was a hand to stick out in front of her offering an empty glass. Sighing, she took it until wet liquid sloshed on to her hand. Definitely not empty then, she thought.

"Woah there darling, I was offering you a drink." A handsome man stared down at Felicity with a smirk on his face. She might've been attracted to him if there wasn't something sour about the way his features were set. She'd always been a good judge of character and her gut was telling her to high tail it.

"I'm working, sorry." She replied in a sickly sweet voice. Being feisty usually just persuaded them to come on to her more.

"One sip isn't going to floor you is it?" He said rather irritably.

"No but a punch in the face might." Felicity mumbled under her breath. She looked up and put her smile back in place. "Look I have to get back to work. Thanks for the offer though." She widened her smile a little to exaggerate her happy persona before side stepping him.

"I'm sure there's someone else who'll have a taste."

Felicity replayed that sentence in her head as she moved through the crowd. It seemed weird how adamant he was that someone should have his drink. He couldn't be one of the guys that targeted Thea though, she had their faces engraved in her mind. She'd know if it were them.

Still Felicity turned, her ponytail swishing sharply as her gaze settled back on the man she'd just spoken with. There he was with a smaller blonde girl, his arm flung over her shoulders the drink in his hand hovering right over her lips. Felicity saw red and pushed her way back through the army of people gathered on the floor.

A fist connected with his face before she could reach him though and she stopped short, elbowing a dancing guy away from her as she took in the scene. Had that really just happened? She struggled to see who was standing there with all the writhing bodies so she pushed forwards again, just as the man received another blow to the face. His nose and lip were both bleeding now.

As soon as Felicity saw the attacker's face she ran forwards and grabbed his forearm with her small hand forcing him to look down at her.

"Oliver, stop." She stated firmly.

He pursed his lips in frustration before lowering his arm and stomping through the crowd that had gathered around the fight. Felicity laid a hand on the girl's arm checking to see if she was okay. After seeing that the girl didn't look too bothered about the situation, Felicity ran after Oliver.

He was pacing outside the entrance when she found him. She could practically see the steam coming out of his ears.

"Hey." She said, stepping down in to the street and coming to stand in front of him.

He looked at her briefly before he began pacing again his eyes locked on the floor.

"Do you want to talk about it?" She asked warily, trying not to look like a weirdo watching Oliver pace back and forth on the empty sidewalk.

"Not really." He ground out, running his hands though his hair aggressively.

"Okay." Felicity nodded before she made herself comfortable on the step leading up to the club doors.

Oliver cast her a strange look but she shrugged in reply. She wasn't going anywhere. If waiting him out was what it took to see where his head was at then that's what she'd do.

"I was nearly there." Oliver grunted as he stopped pacing. He was still facing down the street so Felicity only had a side on view of his face. She could still see the evident frustration on his features though.

"What?" Felicity asked confused.

"When he had you. I was nearly there. You'd gone and he'd moved on to that other girl when I managed to make it there." Oliver still wasn't looking at her but she saw him swallow his anger before it bubbled to the surface again.

Felicity didn't know how to reply to that so she changed the subject instead. "What were you doing there in the first place?" She asked softly, not trying to sound accusing.

"Tommy and I-" he cut himself off when he realised he was about to admit to his recent night time activities.

"Okay, you don't want to tell me. That's fine." Felicity held up her hands. She knew she wasn't that close to him to expect an answer.

"It's not that. I just don't think you'd want to know." Oliver sighed coming to sit down beside her on the step with her.

After that, the conversation died. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence though. She was content to sit beside him and stare out across the road. She had a feeling her presence was doing a lot to calm him down. At least that's what she liked to tell herself.

-

"Hey," Thea said when Oliver got home. Oliver looked up in surprise as he stuffed his keys back in to his jacket pocket.

"Uh hey." He said awkwardly.

Next thing he knew Thea had thrown her arms around his neck and was hugging him tightly. He hesitated, wondering what alternate universe he'd stepped in to. Last time he checked, Thea was doing everything humanly possible to avoid him. That wasn't even counting the painfully disappointed looks she'd shoot him in the hallway.

To his surprise, his relationship with Thea had been the most difficult to mend. He'd always thought Felicity would be his biggest challenge but surprisingly she'd been pretty quick to forgive. He still didn't know what to think of that. Or her.

Oliver wisely decided not to question his sister's sudden change of heart and to make the most of it. He wasn't sure how long this was going to last. He'd be stupid not to take advantage of having his little sister back.

"I'm sorry." He mumbled in to her hair.

"I know you are Ollie." She said pulling back and wiping a tear from her left eye. "I think I've known for a while that you were. I was just too stubborn to give in."

"I'd be disappointed in you if you weren't stubborn. That's not you at all." He said playfully.

Thea laughed and tucked her hair behind her ear. It felt strange that things were so awkward but Oliver wasn't expecting everything to go back to normal straight away. He was still trying to figure out what had caused Thea's change of heart.

"Felicity might have mentioned your heroics earlier. Is that what you've been doing every night with Tommy?" Thea asked. Oliver couldn't mistake the glimmer of hope in her voice. He knew she was asking because she didn't want him and Tommy to be continuing their usual antics on nights out.

"Yes." He said. "Tonight was the first time we've- I've intercepted. It was harder to watch with someone we know." He said, hands shoved deep in his pockets.

"I understand." Thea nodded. "But this is dangerous Ollie. These men are professionals, they're smarter. It's not about some dumb kids looking for a good time." She scolded.

"Thea, with all due respect, I know what I'm doing. I'm not falling in to this blind." Oliver said.

It was true. He and Tommy had been impressively smart about it. Obviously tonight excluded. They'd been tracking the men they'd seen and latched on to a few new faces as well. Habits were observed, routines, etc. Between the two best friends they'd acquired a lot of information. They didn't know what to do with it yet, but they'd figure that out nearer the time.

"I trust you." She said with a smile.

Thea squeezed Oliver's hand before heading back upstairs to bed.

-

Oliver watched Felicity closely at school the Monday after the incident. It was stupid really. Nothing bad had happened to her but he still felt on edge whenever he saw he walking down the corridor on her own. His fingers twitched by his side, aching to defend her from any potential danger.

He didn't understand his feelings and he wasn't sure if he wanted to delve in to them just yet. There was too much going on in his head with Thea and those low lives who had yet to pay for their crimes. Trying to solve a girl like Felicity Smoak required his full and undivided attention. Something he couldn't give her right now.

"If you keep staring, she's going to come over. And then she's going to kick your ass for acting like a creepy stalker." Tommy grinned, slapping a hand on his best friend's back.

"I'm not stalking her." Oliver huffed in irritation. He was hoping for his new found interest in the feisty blonde to go unnoticed. He should have known better.

"Well maybe you could actually tear your gaze away from her and I'll be halfway to believing that ridiculous lie of yours you're trying to spin on me."

"I'm just making sure she's safe." Oliver said, leaning back on the wall and finally looking at Tommy.

Tommy's brow furrowed. "Why wouldn't she be?"

"I went out on Saturday night without you. They tried to spike her drink." The second sentence was spoken through gritted teeth. Oliver was struggling to deal with the fact he'd come close to watching Felicity be the third victim of the drug craze going around.

Oliver was confused as a thought flashed through his head about what he'd do if Felicity was drugged too. It was a simple acknowledgement he made that he wouldn't have been able to control himself next time he'd seen them. To target Thea and Felicity and succeed? That was inconceivable. He wouldn't let that happen. Ever.

"They did what?! What did you do? Please tell me you didn't lose it completely." Tommy groaned, already picturing the moment when Oliver lost his temper and went forwards all guns blazing.

"I didn't-" Tommy shot Oliver a pointed look. "-lose it completely. It was a minor thing. Nothing too brutal." Oliver lied through his teeth, hoping Tommy could for once not catch on to his twist on the truth and change the subject.

"Yeah and I'm Coco the Clown." Tommy rolled his eyes but dropped it. He'd find out soon enough what had happened. If Oliver didn't want to talk to him about it, he'd allow him that privilege.

-

"Cait! Cait? I need you to wake up for me sweetie. It's okay, shush. Come on baby, wake up for me please." Barry begged straddling his girlfriend as she fitted in her sleep trying to escape the demons her mind had created in her nightmare.

"Please, please. I can't." Caitlin whimpered under him, her body twisting away from danger.

"Caitlin!" Barry yelled, now completely ignorant to the fact his parents and the other residents of the house were only a few doors away. The rooms were massive anyway. He was sure he had little chance of them actually hearing anything.

Caitlin's eyes napped open, darting frantically around the room, trying to adjust to her surroundings. It took her a while to take control of her shaking arms and to relax fully back in to the bed.

Barry followed her movements slowly, rolling off of her and settling down by her side, his arms banded tightly around her waist. There was one thing Barry had to do every time he woke Caitlin from a nightmare and that was look her in the eyes. No matter how many times he did it, he still suffered the same heartbreak at the same intensity as the last time.

Her eyes were harvesting a fear that he never knew how to protect her from. It scared him that although he knew how to keep her from getting hurt by him or other people, he had no idea of how to control the hurt she harnessed within. The hurt that had been embedded in to her heart the moment she'd been exposed the darkest parts of the world.

Every night he saw that same look in her eyes he'd seen as she'd held on to him that night. Parts of him would relive that night with her all over again and that's why he kept his arms secure around her waist, refusing to let go. She was here. With him. Safe. That's all that mattered. That's all he wanted.

"Barry?" She whispered, her voice low and wobbly.

"Yeah?" He asked, dreading what she'd have to say about this.

"When do you think it will get better? When will I be okay again?" A single tear fell down her cheek.

"I don't know." He admitted, trying hard to keep his emotions at bay. Caitlin needed a strong face to look at for reassurance.

She nodded and bit her lip. She knew that no one would have the answers for that. "Am I broken?"

"Do you want to be broken by this?" Barry asked softly.

"No." She mumbled back, her hands fisting in his t shirt.

"Then you won't be. You're only as broken as you allow yourself to be. Yes, bad things happened to you but you know what? They win if you allow yourself to be a victim. You get up and you move forwards, knowing that anything that happens now will be better. And it will be. I won't allow anything else but better." Barry offered a small smile before leaving forwards and kissing her forehead sweetly.

Her small hand grazed his cheek affectionately as she looked up at him with an admiration he'd never seen before. Something about seeing that made his heart swell. He gripped her waist tighter in response to the new rush of emotion he was experiencing.

"I don't know how I'd carry on without you." She whispered.

"Believe me, it goes both ways." He brushed a piece of hair behind her ear. "Go back to sleep."

Caitlin buried her nose in his neck and let out a breath. Her soft snores were heard soon after, telling Barry how exhausted she was from her fitful sleep earlier. He lay awake a while holding her. It was customary for him to stay awake a while longer after she drifted. It helped him rest easy when he knew she wasn't going to have another nightmare again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long to update! But I changed a few things last minute. Thank you so much for all the amazing comments and feedback. It's great to have the level of support you offer and I'm eternally grateful.
> 
> I'm on holiday from Monday so I won't be posting until I'm back! I've not left a nasty cliffhanger though so you should be okay ;) x


	10. I Made You A Promise

"No. Absolutely not. There is no fucking way I'm letting you do this." Barry growled furiously, trying to keep a hold of what little control he had left.

It had been a month since the attack on Felicity and Oliver had worked himself in to a frenzy trying to figure out a way to put an end to the Vertigo gangs in Starling. He'd gone out of his way to avoid her whilst he suffered through endless nights of gathering intel with Tommy. He was grateful that Tommy hadn't questioned his sudden change in motive. He didn't want to be asked the question because he was afraid of the answer.

Felicity had shot him a couple of death glares from across the grass outside of school but he shook it off and told himself it was best to keep his distance for now. What little friendship they had was important to him and he wasn't so stupid as to think his mood had severely altered since throwing himself in to seeking vengeance for his little sister. Felicity didn't deserve exposure to that side of him. He felt bad enough watching Tommy endure his small fits of rage when things didn't go his way.

Finally, he had a way in. It was no secret that Caitlin had survived the dosage. She was the first to come out of a Vertigo drugging unscathed and from what little he and Tommy had gathered from overheard conversations and whispers on the street, 'The Count' wasn't happy about that. He wanted her bad, and suddenly Oliver had found a way inside the hornet's nest. Barry however didn't see the news as so much of an opportunity as Oliver.

"Barry, I know it's not ideal at all and believe me if there was another way I'd be doing it but she's our way in!" Oliver exclaimed trying to make his brother see reason.

"Why are we trying to get closer to them?! Why are you looking for trouble? Just leave it alone and leave Caitlin out of this. She is never going back in there and I am never letting you go near her again until you lock that shit down." Barry spat, seething with rage. He'd promised Caitlin things would be better and he'd meant it. Baiting her for the Count? That was far from his idea of 'better'.

"Barry she's a target now. Do you think she's safe in the mansion? They'll come for her at school or at her house and they'll make damn sure you watch it all unfold. They'll destroy her and you'll have to say that you refused the only chance we ever had to play them at their own game." Oliver was aware he was pleading desperately with Barry but he didn't care. He needed this. They all did.

Barry sat down on the stairs defeated, his head in his hands. Oliver clenched his jaw at how distraught his brother looked. The realisation of how easy it would be to lose Caitlin forever sunk in to his tired features. He'd been losing sleep over Caitlin, her nightmares seemed to scar him just as much as her. Oliver and the rest of the family pretended they didn't hear her screams at night or the heart-wrenching sobs that shook them to the core.

Moira had paid for a soothing sound system to help calm her, and it had helped. At first. Barry helped the most though but it hurt him that being in his arms wasn't enough for her to sleep peacefully. Everyone knew that she rested uneasy because there was no one to put the blame on. No one to put behind bars. Her attacker was a ghost now, all she had was an ambiguous nickname for a man behind a huge operation. He was untouchable.

Oliver worried Thea would suffer to the same extent but she seemed fine. The betrayal of her older brother had been a distraction at the time and knowing she could have had it worse eased her storm. Oliver often wondered if the Count was unhappy about his sister's survival of her dosage but from what he knew, the guys in Felicity's work were amateurs, only using watered down doses to get a kick out of seeing a girl crumble under the influence. He shuddered bitterly at the thought.

Barry hadn't moved from his spot on the stairs and that made Oliver uneasy. Yes, Barry was going through a lot but he'd never seen him so downtrodden before now.

"You okay?" Oliver asked, not sure he wanted an answer but pushing for one anyway.

"Not even remotely." Barry said, lifting his head from his hands but keeping his gaze to the floor. "You don't understand what it's like. I see it in her eyes every time she wakes up and it never gets easier. The burden never gets lighter. I don't-" he stops himself to pull himself together. "I can't risk putting her in any more danger. I can't see her suffer at their hands again, not when I know what comes after." Barry said, levelling his gaze with his brother's.

Oliver stood strong, showing his brother how much he believe in his plan. "She will never lose that look in her eyes if he's still out there. You owe her that much to at least try to end him."

Barry's expression flickered and Oliver knew his words had hit home. His brother might not be saying yes, but there was some part of him that agreed with Oliver.

-

"Are you sure you're okay? You've not been acting yourself lately." Felicity questioned her best friend, observing the puffy eyes and slightly paler complexion she was sporting.

"Short or long answer?" Caitlin asked smiling tiredly.

"Caitlin." Felicity gave her a pointed look and Caitlin huffed in response. It had never been easy hiding from Felicity. Sometimes it bugged her how much of an open book she was with her best friend.

"It's not about me anymore. It's Barry." Caitlin sighed sadly. Her face riddled with regret and guilt.

"What's wrong with Barry?" Felicity's brow was creased with confusion. Barry seemed fine last time she checked, although she'd barely seen him around school.

Caitlin looked up to the sky and huffed out a laugh bitterly. "What isn't?" She looked at Felicity again. "He's constantly in a state of worry for me and I see the change in his face every time he wakes me from a nightmare. It's tearing him apart and it's all Because of me. I can't live with the guilt of being the one who makes him worry so."

"Please tell me you're not thinking of br-"

"No!" Caitlin's eyes widened at Felicity's suggestion. "God, no. I could never. Right now, I think us being apart makes it worse." Caitlin pushed her hair from her face in frustration.

"So where do you go from here?" Felicity asked, not sure herself how to make things better between her two friends. It was a situation she'd never encountered.

"We don't." Caitlin shook her head. "I'm scared we won't go anywhere whilst there's nothing that's being done about this. No one is paying for my attack and Vertigo seems to be prowling every club now. It's like it's mocking me as it spreads like a disease."

"But Cait, what if you never have that closure? You can't stay like this forever. There has to be another way for you to move on from this." Felicity reasoned.

Felicity got what Caitlin meant, but she couldn't help but feel like her best friend was all but powerless against Vertigo. She wouldn't get the justice she craved, and Felicity had to keep pushing Caitlin to accept her attack to move forwards. Waiting for the police to intercept such a huge operation was borderline crazy. It would be a time consuming operation and she couldn't guarantee even then that Caitlin would be satisfied enough with the result to move on.

It was times like this when you ached to dive in to the depths of someone's mind and target the exact emotion or thoughts causing someone to slowly self destruct from the inside out. It wasn't just Caitlin now, it had passed to Barry and there was no way in hell those two were spiralling out of control under Felicity's care.

A thought occurred to Felicity as she recalled what Oliver had said about his and Tommy's nightly activities. Although she'd thought them crazy and over-ambitious, they had a certain appeal to them now. She had to speak with Oliver.

That thought encouraged a frown to cross over her features. He'd been painfully obvious about his determination to avoid her over the last month since that night outside the club. Evidently, she'd done something to make him feel uncomfortable. It was that, or he was up to something. Her eyes narrowed at that. If he thought he could go off scheming without her knowing what about, he had another thing coming.

-

Felicity was smart with the way she approached Oliver. School wasn't an option, there were too many escape routes he could take to get away from her. Oliver had a way of being able to avoid her even catching a glimpse of him for the school day. That sneaky bastard.

Much to her delight, Felicity had managed to gather her own intel on the boys whilst they were gathering it on the Vertigo gangs. It gave her an unbeatable thrill sneaking around and catching sight of them in places she knew they'd be. Something about knowing their every move made her feel powerful.

So as soon as the club crowded with people and everyone she worked with was pushed in to the late night drinking craze, she skipped out the doors and on to the dingey sidewalk. Easy enough. Now it was all about cornering her victim. Or victims.

She ditched her glass-collecting tray in a bin as she walked, confidently heading over to the most likely place Oliver and Tommy were. The alley a block away was where they liked to hide usually, it was either that or a shadowed area on the opposite side of the road. Either way, they'd definitely be around here somewhere.

She'd barely rounded the corner before a hand snatched her arm and pulled her in to a warm body. She let out an involuntary 'oomph' as she crashed in to a hard chest before pushing off quickly and composing herself. The hand on her arm still had a firm grip. Her body instantly tensed at that.

"What the hell do you think you're doing Felicity?! Are you trying to end up on the victim list?" Oliver spoke in a harsh angry whisper and Tommy stood behind him wearing a disapproving scowl.

Her defiant gaze met Oliver's as she slowly tugged her arm out of his hold and folded her arms as a shield from their wrath. She could practically see the steam coming out of his ears as he stared down at her. Suddenly she hated being so small. It didn't give her great grounds to try and intimidate someone. Tommy's normally playful expression had turned in to a stony one and Felicity had to admit she'd never seen him look so mad before. That's how she knew they were both madder than she thought.

"I needed to speak with you two idiots and the only way to catch you was to find you at a time when you weren't trying to avoid me!" Felicity's whispered back indignantly. They'd been the ones to push her to the extremes and she wasn't taking all the blame.

Oliver huffed in annoyance. She didn't know if that was because he knew she was right, or because she'd brought up the fact he'd been avoiding her.

"That's still not a good enough excuse for you to be on your own near a freaking alley where you know bad things happen." Oliver still looked pissed.

Felicity frowned. "But you guys are here."

"Yeah so?" Oliver asked.

She rolled her eyes at him. "So I know I'm safe. Duh." She looked at him as if it was obvious.

Oliver's eyes glinted with something that Felicity couldn't quite put her finger on. She would've been content to stare in to his eyes curiously trying to figure it out but Tommy interrupted her daze.

"That's flattering and all but you're putting a lot of strain on us by doing that. What if we're not there? What if we turn up late? You'd never have known if we'd be here for definite." Tommy said throwing his hands up in the air in defeat.

Felicity had never thought of it that way. Of course she knew she was more than capable of handling herself, but she'd put pressure on Tommy and Oliver to protect her if things went south. Even then, she wasn't sure they'd be able to take on too many drug dealers. After all, they had guns, all she, Tommy and Oliver had were fists. Didn't seem like a fair fight to her.

Instead of feeling guilty, she pushed on. Ever the stubborn girl her mother had raised. "Right. Okay. You've had you're rant. Moving on." She wafted her hand in the arm dismissively before continuing. "I need to be a part of this. Caitlin is slipping and I need to find a way to help her. I don't know what you're planning on doing or how you're going to do it but I need to be there when it goes down." She spoke fiercely, challenging them to deny her.

Tommy was hesitant and by the frown on his face, he wasn't on board. Oliver however, looked stricken. Almost as if he was torn between two answers. However that look was all she needed.

"Please Oliver, you should know better than anyone about seeking vengeance for the people closest to you." She'd pulled the Thea card. It was a dirty trick but she was desperate. Her eyes cut to Tommy. "You should too. That's the reason you're both out here. It's the only way you feel better about what happened isn't it?" She spoke softly, knowing she'd hit a nerve with both guys.

"You're only on the sidelines. You don't step foot near anyone remotely shady. If you do this, I need you out of the way at a safe distance." Felicity went to cut him off but Oliver interrupted her before she could say anything. "Don't even think about arguing with me Felicity or I'll take you back to the club and ban you from this altogether."

Felicity knew from the fire in his eyes that he meant it. She'd never been one to back down easily and she found it worrying and irritating that Oliver seemed to be the exception. It made her worry if she was losing the control she had on herself. No one should ever make her feel she had to back down from what she believed in. Although, she supposed that Oliver was only doing it for her own safety. She could tell her was concerned for her when he spoke.

"Okay. That's all I wanted." Felicity nodded appreciatively at both of them. And turned on her heel.

She'd barely taken a step forward when she spun around again. "Just whatever you do, don't underestimate what I can do just from the sidelines."

Oliver's chuckle was all she could hear even though she was sure Tommy was laughing as well. His eyes glinted with that same emotion again as he looked at her. "We wouldn't dream of it."

She smiled back at his acknowledgement of her strength before she finally headed back to work. In the end, that had been rather productive. Now she just had to figure out exactly what she could do that would help Oliver and Tommy out with their little mission.

-

"Hey," Barry smiled warmly at his girlfriend perched on he edge of his bed, waiting for his return home.

Caitlin had to wonder sometimes how she did it. She brought such light in to his eyes but she knew of the torment she'd put him through too. She brought out the best and the worst in him and she didn't know if that was a good or bad thing. With all the guilt that consumed her, she couldn't help but think it was maybe more of a bad thing.

"Have you been waiting long?" He asked as he stroked her arm lovingly, having joined her on his bed.

"No, but I never mind waiting." Caitlin smiled, turning around and leaning back in to his chest. She could feel the smile on his face as he kissed her hair.

She had his left hand in both of hers and she caressed and fiddled with it absently, soaking up just being in his presence. That was the best thing about Barry. She never needed to be speaking to him to have some of their best moments. Sometimes, a kiss on her forehead and a content evening silently communicating through gently brushing skin against skin was enough.

As Caitlin shifted against him, she noticed a tension in his body she'd never come across before. She paused for a moment, trying to read what emotions were radiating off his rigid body.

"What's wrong?" She asked, slowly beginning to play with his hand again. This time it was more of a gesture to comfort him rather than to distract her.

She felt him sigh behind her but she didn't hear it. "I don't know what it would do to you if I told you." He said. His whole tone of voice sounded off and it was enough of a strange occurrence for her to sit up and turn to face him.

"Barry? You're not making any sense. Just tell me and I can help." Caitlin grabbed both his hands and squeezed in reassurance.

"Oliver knows how to get to the Count." Barry muttered reluctantly.

"The Count?" Caitlin asked. Then she recalled the meaning of that name. "Oh."

Barry nodded and kept his gaze trained on to the plush carpet.

"How do we get to the Count?" She asked, worrying her bottom lip with her teeth.

"By baiting him with the one person who survived a fully concentrated dosage without so much as a mental breakdown." Barry finally lifted his dark lashes to meet Caitlin's worried eyes.

She sat still for a while, searching his face for something more. What, she didn't know. It was only then when she'd seen the pain in his expression she'd realised that she was meant to be the bait.

"Barry I-"

Barry interrupted her. "No. I said no, Caitlin. I told him you wouldn't be able to handle it and I knew it would give you more nightmares and I couldn't do that to you. I couldn't watch you take on any more pain and with the outcome of the plan so unpredictable it was too much." Barry had begun to get agitated as he frantically tried to reassure his girlfriend he wasn't prepared to put her in any more danger.

"And I love you for that." Caitlin smiled, her eyes watering. "But I can't help thinking that maybe this is what I need. I could finally look that sick man in the eye and have my closure. I could go on suffering through nightmare after nightmare but it's not healthy to live that way."

"If that way is what keeps you safe then I don't care." Barry protested his hands cupped her face.

"But I do." She whispered. "I see the way you crumble each time you have to wake me from a nightmare and I can't keep doing that to you. It's tearing both of us apart. I know we're young and impulsive and most likely to get ourselves in to more trouble than we know what to do with but I want this. I want a fight."

Barry nodded regretfully. On some level, he knew this would be her answer.

"I made you a promise that things would be better." He said bitterly, realising that promise was already being thrown down the drain.

"And they will be. What goes down must come up. We just haven't hit the bottom yet." She shrugged and smiled through watery eyes, trying to lighten his mood.

The sight of her was so pure and beautiful that he couldn't resist leaning in, capturing her lips in a slow kiss. He poured every emotion he was feeling in to it; pride, concern, love, hope for a better future and admiration for the amount of strength she had. Caitlin was one in a million.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter! Let me know your thoughts and where you think this story's headed.
> 
> Updates should be back to being more regular now, yay! x


	11. I Need You To

It was a cool, brisk night in Starling and Caitlin couldn't help but feel like the miserable weather reflected her mood perfectly. She was wearing a thin chiffon top over her jeans and it wasn't nearly enough to keep her warm. She silently scolded herself for her poor choice of outfit. Then again, she'd needed something that looked like she was intentionally on a night out, so jeans and a cute top was what she'd had to throw on before meeting Oliver and Tommy at Felicity's work.

She'd seen a couple of the Count's men make a phone call as she'd danced uncomfortably on the heaving dance floor. That meant he knew she was here and that he was no doubt coming for her. She'd forced down a vodka soda Felicity had slipped her to ease her nerves, but as the harsh wind blew in her face, she knew she was still pretty much sober.

Every footstep echoing on the pavement in the alley was enough to startle her out of her trance. She'd stop humming to herself to keep warm and turn around, expecting a man to be standing before her. No such thing had occurred. She felt safe that Barry was with her on the other end of the phone call in her pocket. She couldn't lift the device to her ear and hear his soothing words, but it was enough to just be stroking the cool metal in her jean pocket. He was here. 

The plan was repeating itself in her head as she heard another set of footsteps approaching. Her stomach was somersaulting with fear as she anticipated the arrival of the Count. If it was him at all. They had a contingency plan though if he didn't show up so she supposed she shouldn't worry too much either way. Then again, Caitlin was smart and her brain had already found a dozen loopholes and loos-ends in this plan. 

The footsteps paused, and Caitlin drew in her breath. Something about the way the air changed around her told her that this was what she'd been waiting for. 

And then suddenly she wasn't ready. Suddenly this was the worst mistake she'd ever made. Why couldn't she have just said no and let the past be the past? Why was she here?

She backed up, her heart beat stuttering. The footsteps sounded out in the dark and she lost all the air in her lungs. Everything seemed to slow down as the men approached. Everything felt numb as they grabbed her and pulled her with them out of the alley.

It was only when she hit the floor of the van that every noise blared out, making her screw up her face in discomfort. She could hear her scared breaths and her shoes scrambling on the floor, trying to get her body upright. The sound of duct tape ripping pierced her ear drums and she just let them tape her hands behind her back. 

Thankfully, someone had mercy on her poor aching limbs and pulled her up so she could sit upright and not continue the journey with her limbs sprawled uncomfortably on the dirty floor. Caitlin knew she should look up and try to identify the man before her, but her fear engulfed her. She stared hard at the ground, hoping to avoid seeing his face. 

To her surprise, the man let her be. He muttered something every now and then, but she didn't care enough to catch on to what he was saying. He wasn't her target. She was headed towards him now. 

-

Felicity had the biggest death grips on Oliver's arm, and he wondered how he'd managed to keep a straight face as her small fingernails dug in to his skin. Maybe it was because he was just as on edge as she was. Maybe even more. 

Oliver felt a huge responsibility to make sure this epic plan didn't fail. He was trying so hard to regain what small piece of humanity he had left and everything depended on this tonight. He'd been forgiven by everyone, but now it was time for him to be forgiven for himself. He somehow still felt he was the same careless and irresponsible teenager who didn't think through a plan long enough to consider how others would be affected. He was furiously trying to clear his name. 

A mechanical sounding beep rang through the basement of the club and both Felicity and Oliver jumped to attention. Caitlin's tracker had finally come back online. Without a second thought, Oliver texted Barry the address and grabbed Tommy. He wasn't letting his brother of this one alone. That wasn't how the plan was meant to go.

Tommy had already bolted up the stairs to his car to pick up Barry. Oliver would follow on his bike. 

Just as he neared the first step, he felt a small yet desperate tug on his arm. Turning around and looking in to the frightened blue eyes that belonged to Felicity made him close the distance between them. As soon as he'd seen her fear, he'd felt a primal urge to protect her in any way he could. 

"Bring her home please." Felicity whispered, her eyes searching his for reassurance.

"I can promise that I'll do everything I can to save her." Oliver offered, knowing promising to bring Caitlin home wasn't something he could make in that moment. Yes, they had a plan, but there was no telling how it would go.

"I believe you." Felicity nodded and Oliver mirrored the action. However, the grip on his arm tightened.

"Can you-" she sighed, her sentence breaking. "Please come back in one piece." 

Oliver's expression softened at her concern. "You know I can't promise that either." 

"I know." Felicity swallowed and met his gaze with sincere eyes. "But I need you to." 

"I promise." He said, his voice a low husk. He pressed his lips gently to her forehead before leaving her standing in the basement. He knew she wouldn't leave. She had her shift to finish upstairs and he knew she'd want to be in front of the laptop they'd set up in the club's basement. That way she could make sure her best friend was okay. 

-

Barry practically sprinted out of Tommy's car. It hadn't even ground to a full halt a couple of blocks away from their location before he was flinging the door open and heading out to find her. The same thought pounded against his skull painfully. He couldn't lose her. He couldn't live without his Caitlin. 

There was yelling in protest as Tommy finally got out too and Oliver arrived on his bike but Barry didn't slow down. He'd heard the phone call. He'd heard her breaths become short and he could picture in his mind her being thrown in to some sort a vehicle. He was guessing a van. 

As much as he knew there was a perfectly well organised and though out plan, he couldn't think straight. He'd prepared himself for a protective streak but nothing came close to what emotions he'd experienced as he listened to her being captured by those disgusting men. He had no idea how clean they would be with their tasks or how much they'd want to mess with her and he couldn't bring himself to even think of the worst case scenario of what they could do to her. 

Everything he saw was red. Warning bells and alarms blared in his mind and they seemed to increase in intensity the closer they got to their final location. He prayed to God they hadn't found her tracker and set them up. He just needed to see she was okay before he tore some men apart.

-

Caitlin wrinkled her nose as the smell of damp hit her. She couldn't figure out exactly what was damp but the eery noise of water dripping nearby signified that she was right with her instinct. The floor even felt wet beneath her knees as she knelt in the ground, waiting for the bag on her head to be removed. 

When it was, she couldn't say she was pleased to now be able to see her surroundings. Everywhere was cast with shadows and it made it hard for her to make out faces and shapes. Her eyes screwed shut and she tried to blink away the darkness. It didn't help. 

A man stood before her. Skinny and sinister looking, his shadowed features reminded her of a rat. She could tell by the way he stood that he was who she'd been waiting to come face to face with. His sneer was disgusting and the threat he made with just one noise was clear. 

The Count wasn't what she expected. She'd thought he'd be much bigger and bolder in the way he presented himself. More like the mob bosses you saw in Mafia films or even like the bad guys in Breaking Bad. He was a new breed. Completely the opposite of anything she could have imagined. Somehow though, seeing him as the skinnier version of what image she'd conjured up of him in her mind made him much scarier. 

"Surprised to see me? I bet you are. Not many get the privilege on staring at the man behind the operation." He crouched down in front of her with a sick, twisted smile on his face. "Some might even call you lucky." He chuckled at his own joke. Caitlin didn't find it funny.

"I don't count myself as lucky." Caitlin snapped back, gesturing to her current situation. 

"Ah, yes. Well, you can't have it every which way can you? Lucky in some parts, not so much in others. It's a pretty twisted game that fate plays with us. Wouldn't you agree?" His smile was beginning to tick her off. What was with his constant joy at the situation? It felt too weird that he wasn't being threatening.

"Why am I here?" Caitlin asked, determined to bring the situation round to that of a normal stereotypical Hollywood movie kidnapping. Anything but the unknown would work for her. 

"I ask the questions!" The Count yelled, his body spasming in anger. His eyes inherited a murderous look in them.

"I didn't know those were the rules." Caitlin muttered quietly, her head down as she tried to avoid meeting his gaze. 

"Well now you know. Don't do it again." He snarled, flicking her chin with his finger, trying to convey how angry he was without hurting her too much. Why he was being so lenient with the punishments she had no clue. 

"I have a problem with you, Ms. Snow." He'd backed up and begun casually pacing the concrete floor on a meter before her. "The condition at the end of the treatment is terminal. No one escapes the disease I plant inside their bodies when they take my product. No one gets away from it unscathed. Even when they're admitted to hospital." He glared at her accusingly. "So the real question here is why have you returned to a pretty normal life without so much as a blip hmm?" 

Caitlin glared at him with all the hatred she could muster. Her panic had subsided whilst he'd been trying to monologue like a villain in a bad movie. All she felt now was an urge to make him feel her wrath. She'd waited far too long for a moment like this to go to waste. 

"No reply? How original." The Count rolled his eyes and begun his pacing again. Caitlin wondered how she'd missed the moment he'd stopped pacing and just stared down at her. 

"I am not unbroken by this, but I'm not broken either and you can't make me in to anything I don't want to be." Caitlin spat at his feet. As much as she wanted to reign in her anger, she couldn't. 

The Count's laugh boomed, echoing off the walls of the damp room. "That's cute. Maybe you can repeat that sentence after I'm finished here." He gave her a patronising smile.

"I will." Caitlin said, her chin stuck out defiantly. 

"Moving on. I'd like to know how much of help that boy is. The one who carried you to the hospital. He seems to be key to your emotional recovery which if you ask me is so boring. I mean of all the things you could have gotten out of your little experience and you end up with these tiny little panic attacks. It's hardly worth the effort I put in to my Vertigo batches." The Count scolded her and Caitlin couldn't help but feel offended when he called her aftermath of the whole ordeal boring. 

"How would you even know he carried me to hospital?" Caitlin asked, genuinely confused as to how he'd known something like that. By then, even she didn't know she'd been exposed to Vertigo.

The Count shrugged. "I like to keep track of my Vertigo casualties, it's a hobby of mine. The more tragic the stories, the higher I rate them. Yours was too pathetic to even put on the scale." The Count curled up his mouth in disgust at her. 

"Surviving isn't pathetic." Caitlin replied, trying to hide how much fear she was harbouring in her fragile, shivering body.

"Well it is to me." He snarled back, taking a couple of steps forwards. He laughed as Caitlin leaned back instinctively as he approached. "Still pathetic even now."

"Boss we have incoming." A smaller, more muscular man stepped forwards, clutching his gun. 

The Count turned his head back towards Caitlin. "Do we now? How exciting." The slow sinister smile he'd been sporting earlier returned and Caitlin averted her gaze. 

-

Felicity had always thought herself a patient person, but even with her constant visits to the basement when there was a pause in her shift weren't easing the uneasy feeling in her stomach. 

Caitlin was her closest friend. They'd done everything together since they'd met in school and now it was inconceivable to imagine doing anything without her. So why was Felicity just sat in a dark basement in front of a laptop when she could be out with the others? She could hold her own, she knew that. 

"Why am I the only one not in the middle of it all?" Felicity muttered to herself. 

Her elbow rested on the small table and her chin was being propped up lazily by her hand. She was bored. Her eyes were hurting a little from all the staring she'd been doing. Then dot hadn't even budged an inch, which was weird because it should at least be flashing on screen. That's normally how her tracker worked.

Her body slowly reacted to her realisation that something was off. She'd designed the whole system after all and there were a few things that weren't making sense. 

Frantically, she typed on her keyboard, hoping the screen would move or change. Nothing happened. The whole thing was frozen. She started slamming her palms on the keyboard in one last attempt and finally, the screen came to life.

Her stomach sank at what she discovered. She'd messed up. Massively. 

It didn't take more than a couple of seconds for Felicity to decide to take fate in to her own hands. She shut off the laptop and scurried up the stairs of the basement. Her boss didn't bat an eyelash at seeing her emerge from the basement with a flustered expression and a sleek black laptop tucked under her arm. 

The laptop was shoved into her bag and thrown on to the back seat of her car. She thanked the stars that Oliver hadn't been so smart as to hide her car keys so she couldn't follow them earlier. She untied her apron and threw it on the passenger seat. There was no need for that anymore. 

-

Felicity hadn't gotten far when she realised there was a flaw in her plan. A rather big one. She was but one person. How the hell could she pull off going after Caitlin on her own? It seemed a little far fetched, even for her ambitious nature. 

So, letting her pride get pushed aside for a couple of seconds, she made a phone call. 

"Detective Lance speaking." A gruff voice that Felicity recognised almost instantly came through the speakerphone.

"Detective, I have a big problem." Felicity called out.

"Ms Smoak? Is this relevant to the last time you were in the station?" His voice was calm and professional. Felicity didn't even realise how much she needed to hear that in is voice until she did. 

"Yes." She nodded in relief, fully aware he couldn't see her doing so. "Yes it is." She choked out a small laugh as he suddenly snapped in to action. She hadn't realised how terrified she was for her friend and herself until she'd spoken to him. 

Even as she pulled up at her destination and ended to phone call, she was still grasping on to that small sense of relief he'd provided for her. 

She was well aware that he'd told her to go home and let him handle it but Felicity was the master at not following anyone else's demands but her own. Caitlin was still in there and she knew that once Caitlin saw her there with her, she'd feel better about herself. She needed Felicity's presence as much as Felicity needed hers.

It was simple really. All she had to do was make a bit of a commotion outside the building and someone would come running out and drag her inside. Theoretically.

So she clumsily stumbled over some rubble and knocked over a bin as she advanced. She paused in anticipation, her body tensing every muscle as she heard a man speak out.

"Boss we have incoming."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the delay, I'm on holiday again this week but luckily I had this chapter pre written and ready to post! I'm back very soon so updates should still be regular now! I know how annoying it is when people don't post regularly but I'm back home for a long time when I'm back off this holiday so I'll definitely be posting more!
> 
> Also, there was a lovely recommendation of my story on tumblr that I found the other day so thank you for that whoever did it! Just wanted to clarify a few points from it as well though (nothing bad I promise). I have a tumblr but it's not a fan one its just a personal blog, I'm happy to give it out if people want to follow me on there but I won't be posting updates on there or anything like that if you do want me to have a tumblr page for my stories, I'm happy to do that as well - let me know! :) also, I'm a girl! Haha ;) 
> 
> Thanks so much for all the feedback, I really love reading what you put and any opinions or ideas are always welcome!


	12. Together Or Not At All

Barry was aware of the fact Caitlin wasn't there before he'd even got out of the car. The feeling in his gut had gotten worse the further they'd travelled towards their destination. He'd ignored it stupidly, thinking it was his paranoia making fun of him. 

It wasn't as it turns out. The place was quiet and Barry hadn't even bothered to watch his back as he'd ran in. No one was there and no one was ever going to be. 

"Damn it!" He screamed in fury. He had been hoping all this time that the tracker would've worked. 

Of course, Oliver had already assured Barry he had back up plans for a situation like this but it didn't matter. In his crippling concern for Caitlin, he couldn't focus on the others trying to talk him down. She wasn't here. She wasn't with him and he hated it.

"Barry, we have a contingency for this. Breathe!" Oliver firmly shook his brother's shoulders in a last bid to get him to snap out of it.

"It's not fucking good enough!" Barry yelled back, shoving Oliver's hands away from him. "God I just want this to be over." He shoved his face in to his hands as it all got too unbearable.

It was a short while before Tommy and Oliver felt it was an okay time to speak up again. Every time they caught sight of Barry, the words in the tips of their tongues died and they were left with nothing. 

"We're just a bunch of kids! How the hell did we think this was ever going to go our way?" Barry was laughing helplessly, making Tommy and Oliver feel uncomfortable. 

"Barry, the more time we waste here, the more time we waste getting her back." Oliver spoke in a low but firm voice. 

Barry glared at him, more because of the fact he knew his brother was right. It wasn't nice his player of a brother was calling him out for wasting time before saving his girlfriend. Surely it should be the other way around. 

Oliver shot him a determined look before taking off back to his bike. It was Tommy who got Barry to move.

"You know, because it's the 20th century, women are now more capable of caring for themselves than ever. I'm sure wherever Caitlin is and however helpless she's feeling, she's staying strong. You shouldn't feel so pressured to be the hero." Tommy gave Barry a reassuring smile.

Once gain Barry felt he'd been called out. Of course he knew Caitlin was strong. It was only natural for him to want to be by her side, to want to save her from danger. He didn't feel pressure to do it, he just felt an overwhelming need to protect her at any cost. 

All his life, he'd been told that there weren't damsels in distress anymore, they could save themselves. That was fine, but he always thought that women missed the point of the damsel in distress. It was never about showing their weakness, I mean what man could escape being gagged and tied up let alone a woman? It was all about what the men went through emotionally as they fought to be with the one they loved. 

Tommy stepped on it as they headed out again, following Oliver on his bike. Barry didn't really recall how he got to the car but it felt good to be on the move again. It felt good to be doing something to bring Caitlin home. 

-

Felicity didn't really know how this was going to go. She was just standing there stiffly, waiting for someone to grab her from behind and drag her inside. 

A strangled scream escaped her throat when two arms banded around her waist and hoisted her up. She was deposited on the cement floor next to someone kneeling there. It was only when two hands grabbed her hair and pulled her up that she saw it was Caitlin.

Felicity realised a breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding. Caitlin was here, she'd found her.

"Oh, so you know each other? How convenient." The sinister snarl of the Count echoed off the damp walls and Caitlin's worried eyes widened as she looked at Felicity. 

In that moment, Felicity saw how completely out of control Caitlin felt. And naturally, her heart dropped. Something was wrong. 

Slowly she turned her head, seeking out the Count himself. He was there dressed in all black, wearing the ugliest triumphant expression Felicity had ever seen. It was like something out of a horror film. 

The shadows cast over the room rested perfectly on his face, sharpening every feature to give it that intensity it needed. There were a few other men dotted around the room, keeping to the dark corners, standing as still as statues, silently observing the scene before them.

"The question I'm dying to hear the answer to is this." He stated simply, stepping forwards casually. As soon as he was towering over Felicity barely half a metre away, he suddenly crouched down, slamming his hands on his thighs for dramatic effect. "How in the hell do you know where we are?" He growled, his whole expression changing from nonchalant to angry in a split second. 

"She'd my friend. Wherever she goes, I go." Felicity couldn't help the slight quiver in her voice as she spoke. 

Talking about the situation and being right in the middle of it were two very different things. She definitely didn't have anywhere near the same amount of guts now as she thought she would have. 

A slow smile crept on to the Count's face. "That's cute, but it's not the answer I'm looking for." He grabbed her by her hair and hauled her off the floor, dragging her further away from Caitlin. 

Felicity let out an involuntary 'oomph' when she was pushed back in to an uncomfortable wooden chair. 

"I have a new game that I want to play." The count announced, his hand digging in to Felicity's shoulder. Felicity grit her teeth to distract her from the pain. There was no way she was going to cry out or show any sign of weakness. 

"You either take Vertigo willingly or I start drawing blood." The count held out his hand and a woman passed him a small, blunt knife. Felicity shut her eyes in realisation at how much that was going to hurt.

"You wouldn't." Caitlin spat out, her worried eyes now filled to the brim with anger.

"Oh believe me I would. Let's test my patience shall we?" The knife rested on the base of Felicity's throat. "You take med classes right? So you know what happens when you make a small incision here and hang someone upside down."

Damn it, even Felicity knew what happened if he did that. She'd bleed out within an hour. She'd heard that some people called it the 'vampire effect' because it drained the blood from your body through the cut in your neck. 

A green syringe was thrown down before Caitlin. It was dirty and Felicity thought that if the Vertigo didn't kill Caitlin, the dirty needle would. She could tell she'd thought exactly the same as Caitlin by the look on her best friend's face. A small smile spread on her face momentarily as she realised how much they both thought alike. 

"I'm going to give you to the count of ten to consider your options and either plant the needle in your arm or sign your friend's death warrant." The Count's grip on Felicity's shoulder hadn't eased any.

"Giving me a dirty needle that will cause infection and kill me anyway if Vertigo doesn't work is cowardly." Caitlin grumbled. Her tone was defiant but the way she was looking at the ground told Felicity she was trying her best not to let her fear consume her. 

The hand finally left Felicity's shoulder as the Count advanced slowly towards Caitlin in disbelief. "Excuse me?"

This time Caitlin did raise her head, her chin up as she refused to allow the most dangerous man in the room intimidate her. 

"I said, it's a cowards way out to give me a disgusting needle to inject Vertigo with. You said you wanted me to suffer the same awful side effects that all your other victims have endured after taking Vertigo. Well, a dirty needle carrying bacteria and all kinds of unmentionables could cause serious damage anyway. You don't even need Vertigo in that syringe to do some real damage. You're scared." Caitlin's voice had gotten louder and more pronounced as she continued.

Although the Count laughed a her words, it didn't sound anywhere near as scary now. You could almost detect the self doubt Caitlin had planted in his mind. 

"You don't trust your product anymore. It's unreliable. It has an anomaly. And that's me. But instead of trusting your creation to do it's worst, you're relying on something else." Caitlin laughed mockingly as she caught on to what the Count's own fear was. 

"You are not an anomaly! I will prove it. Your condition will be terminal!" The Count yelled, his face flushing in his rage. 

"I already am. You will never take that away from me. I will always survive that dosage and you will always be a failure. My condition is not terminal and I do not give you the right to dictate to me whether it is or not. You never have and you never will own me." Caitlin growled rising to her feet. 

Even with her hands behind her back, she looked intimidating. The venomous look on her face as she stood before the Count was something even Felicity had never seen before. 

"You're just one little girl." The Count sneered. "You can make a little speech and try to make yourself feel better but you are outnumbered. So I'd suggest kneeling back on that floor before I put you down there myself." 

Felicity had her heart in her mouth as she watched as Caitlin blatantly ignored the Count's orders and instead stepping forwards towards him again. He was right though, Felicity thought as she cautiously scanned the room, they were outnumbered. 

Then again, when did that ever stop anyone from standing up for themselves? Some people didn't care if they had the whole world against them as long as they never backed down from what they believed in. 

Felicity didn't know how she managed it, but she mustered enough courage to stand up from that chair. Her wrists hadn't been bound behind her like Caitlin. 

The woman standing in the shadows had now started moving. Felicity didn't have much time to think before she darted out of the way and ran to her best friend's side. 

Felicity had caused enough of a distraction for Caitlin to lurch forward, eating up those last few inches to grab the gun she'd seen winking at her all night. It slipped easily out of the waistband on the Count's trousers. She took the safety off and swung it round to aim directly at the centre of the Count's forehead. 

"Everybody back off!" Caitlin yelled, her eyes still focused on the despicable man before her. Naturally the surrounding men and woman backed up cautiously.

"Cait?" Felicity half whispered, trying to understand what the next part of her genius plan was.

"I want you to know, that I will never think of you again after tonight. I will never have another nightmare, trying to run from your face. But you I'm sure will think about me. You will be the one running away from me in your dreams. The difference is that no one will be there when you wake up from yours." Caitlin's eyes were watering as she tried to hold back all the pent up rage and frustration she'd felt over the past weeks. 

Felicity spotted the syringe of Vertigo on the floor and she knew what she had to do. Scooping it off the floor, she twirled it in her fingers, analysing just how much this was going to hurt.

She didn't give it much thought before the needle was in his neck. He reeled back in shock, the woman and a man steadying him as he struggled to find his feet. 

Felicity expected rage or yelling. Even screaming would have been considered a normal reaction. All she got was heavy breathing and gasping as she watched this once intimidating man trying to curl up inside himself, in a desperate attempt to postpone the inevitable. 

Caitlin however, still had the gun pointed at the Count. A couple of tears had escaped and slid down her cheeks as she watched the man before her shrivel up. 

Even when the police finally came and Felicity explained to Detective Lance what had happened, Caitlin remained as she was. The officers made no attempt to remove either her or the Count from the scene. They started to move slowly forward but it seemed to encourage Caitlin's hand to shake more. 

Then Barry came. His wild eyes met Felicity's and she managed to communicate enough to him with one look to let him know that Caitlin needed him. Detective Lance held the boy back for only a few moments before the others convinced him that Barry was their best chance of neutralising the scene. 

-

"Cait?" His voice sounded muffled, yet so beautiful. Another tear escaped down her cheek. He couldn't be here, he couldn't see her like this.

Large warm hands engulfed her own and she allowed them to take away the burden she was carrying. 

She vaguely saw the gun be taken away by an officer and another two drag away the Count who was still writhing in the floor uncontrollably. 

All she allows herself to feel was Barry. She clutched on to his jumper like it was a life line, burying her face in to that small nook in his neck where she fit perfectly. His hands were now stroking her back, soothing her, and for the first time that night, Caitlin allowed herself to cry.

Barry held her tighter and she just knew. She knew that he understood that these were happy tears. These were the 'I'm finally free' tears. She also knew that when Barry buried his face in to her hair that he was shedding a tear or two for her as well.

Caitlin clutched on to Barry tighter.

-

"I'm not mad, Felicity. I'm fucking furious!" Oliver seethed. Tommy was off giving statements about other men involved in the Count's operations and Oliver was glad. He'd nearly lost his shit when he'd got a phone call from Detective Lance about Felicity alerting him of the Count's whereabouts tonight. 

Right now, Oliver couldn't even contain his anger at how careless she'd been. She'd simply set off to save her friend with no regard for her own safety. Did she know how easy it would have been for him to lose her?

"I was trying to save my best friend! What did you expect me to do when I found out the tracker had frozen?!" Felicity bit back, ever the ferocious being that she was.

"I would have expected you to call me! You cant just run off like that and have me find out through Detective Lance. I should have been first on the list of people to call!" Oliver threw his hands up in the air as if it were the most obvious thing in world for her to do.

"You're not my keeper Oliver and last time I checked, the police were a pretty good choice! They were on their way as soon as I hung up!" Felicity frowned, wondering what the problem was when he knew the police had been fully aware of her location and what was waiting for her when she got there.

"I would have got there faster!" Oliver yelled, finally letting out all his rage in one sentence. 

Felicity took a step back. Not out of fear, but out of sudden realisation how deep they're were both in.

She covered it up as soon as she saw fear flash in Oliver's eyes. She knew he thought that he'd scared her like he had in the gym in self defence class a while ago. Felicity wouldn't allow him to think that.

"Oliver, the reason I didn't call was because I didn't want you to get there faster." Felicity said softly. "Didn't you get that? It was bad enough sending you out of the basement after Barry and Tommy. I couldn't direct you towards that kind of danger again. What if something had happened to you?" Felicity looked up at Oliver worriedly.

"What would I do if something had happened to you though?" Oliver said, his voice low and soft now. His rough hand grazing her cheek gently.

"I didn't think about that at the time." Felicity smiled sheepishly.

Oliver chuckled. "Just next time we decide to go out on a dangerous mission, promise me we do it together or not at all." 

"Together or not all." Felicity agreed. 

Oliver smiled, already thinking he'd go and find Tommy and help with giving statements. 

"And Oliver?" Felicity asked, Oliver once again gazed in to her blue eyes. 

Before he could think too much in to the darkened blue of her irises, her soft lips pressed against his. It was brief kiss. Nothing that would normally get him in to any sort of frenzy if it had been another girl. But this wasn't just another girl. It was Felicity. And he was teetering on the edge of ecstasy as he finally had the kiss he hadn't realised he'd been waiting so long for.

She pulled away with a satisfied smile her hot breath caressing his lips as she hovered there tauntingly for a brief moment. After a smirk, she spun on her heel and skipped off. To where, he had no idea but he wasn't sure he had any will to care.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed the latest enstallment of ILYUYHM :) 
> 
> Comments make my day so please let me know what you thought x


	13. I Want To Make It Up To You

Everything felt lighter. The air caressing her cheeks didn't feel as harsh. The cool night breeze felt refreshing and welcoming. She couldn't imagine feeling anything as beautiful as her closure felt right now.

Caitlin stepped forwards and stared in to the beautiful night sky and felt different. She felt a weight on her shoulders lift until she imagined it was as far away as the few stars she could make out from where she was standing.

"Is this the closure you've been looking for then?" Felicity asked quietly as she stood beside her best friend.

"It's so much more." Caitlin kept her voice barely above a whisper, scared to disturb the peace washing over her.

In the moonlight, Caitlin could make out a small patch of dried blood in the blonde's hair. Instinctively, her arms reached out as she pulled Felicity in to a tight hug.

"I'm so glad you're okay." Caitlin half laughed as she looked up to the sky in relief.

Felicity returned the laugh. "Yeah well I'm glad you're okay too."

Caitlin pulled back and smiled at her best friend warmly. It quickly morphed in to a frown as Caitlin recalled the incident that occurred barely hours ago.

"What were you thinking?!" Caitlin demanded, smacking her friend on the shoulder. "Coming out here on your own and getting yourself kidnapped! Do you have any regard for your own safety?!"

Felicity frowned back. "Hey, I was just trying to help my best friend. I just wanted to be with you! And I called the cops and told them where we were before I got kidnapped. It was all part of my plan."

Caitlin sighed defeatedly, not in the mood for a huge argument. Instead she just pulled Felicity in to another hug.

"You get yourself kidnapped again and I'm going to personally lock you away in a cage for the rest of your life." Caitlin muttered, only half meaning what she said.

"Deal." Felicity replied, hugging her best friend tighter.

Caitlin sometimes didn't understand how she deserved a friend like Felicity. She was fiercely loyal and had a short temper when it came to others insulting her friends. She was ready to be there for you whether that was one in the afternoon or four in the morning. And last but not least, she was prepared to get kidnapped for her best friend so she could provide the support she so desperately wanted to give. She was one of a kind.

After a little while they pulled away again.

"You should go find Oliver. He was asking for you earlier. He seemed a little out of it." Caitlin said with a raised eyebrow.

Felicity managed to maintain the smile threatening to appear but she couldn't hide under Caitlin's gaze.

"Felicity Meghan Smoak, what did you do?!" Caitlin asked, her eyes wide and playful. Felicity had missed this side of Caitlin so much.

"I didn't- okay that's a lie. I can't ever lie to you. I maybe, sort of, kissed him?" Felicty's face had screwed up waiting for Caitlin's disapproval to come raining down on her

"What like on the cheek? Or like a full on make out sesh?" Caitlin probed.

"Like a kiss I'd give on the cheek but on his mouth. Oh God, Cait, it was like how your grandma kisses you when you're little. It was so bad." Felicity cringed involuntarily, shrinking away from her own embarrassment.

Caitlin couldn't help it. One minute she was patting Felicity's shoulder in concern for her friend, next she was crouching on the pavement, clutching her stomach as she laughed.

"Like a grandma kiss?! Oh my gosh this is like the best thing ever!" Caitlin wheezed, trying to stop her voice from going too squeaky like it did when she laughed too much.

"Cait!" Felicity squealed indignantly. "You're supposed to be helping me! What do I do?"

Felicity frowned at her friend who was absolutely no help. Caitlin was still trying to contain her laughter and was having no such luck.

Felicity rubbed her forehead. "You know what? It's fine. I can live with him never seeing me in that way. I mean any small amount of feelings he did have for me will have been wiped out by the fact I kissed him like a toddler kisses their grandma. I'll just hide from him at school and it will be fine."

Caitlin's laughter had died down by the time Felicity had finished.

"Lis, you really like this guy. You can't just pretend to be invisible for the rest of senior year. You need to fix this." Caitlin looked at Felicity pointedly.

"I don't want to. I can't take anymore embarrassments." Felicity groaned. She stiffened slightly as she thought over what it would mean if she fixed things though. She'd give anything to have a second chance.

"How do I fix this?"

Caitlin smiled. "You go over to him right now and you give him the best kiss of his life. The kiss to end all kisses. Even grandma ones." Caitlin winked teasingly.

Felicity gaped at her best friend for a few moments before she allowed the idea to process. It wasn't a bad idea. She'd be redeemed as an actual normal human being who could kiss properly and she'd be able to finally see if Oliver felt anything towards her.

Felicity wasn't one to give much thought to her actions. Overthinking would always make you doubt yourself and she wasn't about that way of life. So she marched off to find the short tempered Quarterback who'd managed to worm his way under her skin.

Caitlin just watched on like a proud mother. This, she thought, was going to be great.  
-

Oliver was trying to convince Tommy that it was perfectly fine by him that his best friend had suddenly developed feelings for none other than his notorious ex-girlfriend Laurel Lance. It wasn't going well as Tommy was adamant that no matter what Oliver said, he was a bad friend for even thinking of going there.

"Tommy, I don't know what else I can say to convince you that I really don't care if you want to pursue Laurel." Oliver laughed at how agitated Tommy had allowed himself to get. "I don't know if you remember, but our relationship was toxic, and lasted all of three months. Yes, granted it was my longest relationship but her dad was a cop. I couldn't just dump her like I usually did."

Tommy opened his mouth to argue, but came up with nothing. Oliver patted him on the back as a peace offering. Nothing was coming between their friendship, especially not a girl.

"Call her." Tommy looked up at his friend in surprise.

"Call her and let her know our stupid plan to be heroes worked out fine and her dad is a legend." Oliver said, raising an eyebrow. "I'm not going to pretend I haven't seen the messages she's been sending you ever since she found out you were at the crime scene tonight."

Tommy gave Oliver a quick hug in thanks, before pressing one on his speed dial. Oliver chuckled at that. Trust Tommy to prioritise his speed dial contacts like that. Of course Laurel came before anyone else. That's the way Tommy was. He falls hard and doesn't look back.

Watching his friend saunter off for some privacy, he was suddenly aware of the lack of a certain fiery blonde by his side.

His mind had been wandering to Felicity more often than was practical whilst giving statements. That kiss, however sweet and simple it was, had really thrown him off track. He didn't have a clue what was going on in his head. The feelings he had for Felicity were very foreign to him, it was taking him a while to process them.

Felicity was different. He knew he couldn't even think about messing up with her. He was already on his second chance and that was only by miracle. A third seemed out a reach and Oliver was scared of losing her. So much so, that it was making him doubt if he truly wanted to go there with Felicity. If things went wrong, he'd lose her completely. No friendship, no more smiles, nothing. Oliver was sure that if anyone could, she'd be the one to leave him feeling empty.

"Hey," Felicity called softly from his side.

Oliver could see the curiosity sparkle in her eyes, asking what deep thoughts she'd interrupted.

"How are you feeling? I'm sorry I didn't ask earlier." Oliver said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. It wasn't his intention to remind her of his outburst when he'd first found her but he couldn't concentrate properly on what he wanted to say when she showed up.

"Okay." She muttered, like she was mad at herself.

"Just okay?"

"I'm really sorry about earlier Oliver. I came over to apologise. It was just so bad of me and-"

"Don't worry about it." He interrupted.

He knew exactly what she was talking about and knowing she was apologising for the impulsive kiss was enough. He didn't need to hear any more.

"I wanted to make it up to you." She chewed on her lower lip nervously.

Oliver frowned. What the hell did she have to be nervous about?

He watched, as she scoped out their surroundings, checking to see if they had an audience. Then her tiny hand reached out and pushed him back on the wall he'd previously been leaning on. He'd forgotten how strong she was for a moment. Such delicate hands and yet one had him pinned against a wall. he chuckled to himself at that. She had yet to make eye contact with him, and his gaze burned on the back of her head, waiting for her to turn.

Most people would be more or less one hundred percent sure about what was going to happen next. But not Oliver. No, for some reason the biggest playboy in Starling was pressed up against a wall, so unsure of himself, that he wasnt sure what to do or expect.

Felicity stayed with her head turned away for longer than he would've liked. When she did turn, her irises were that same stormy blue he'd seen barley a hour or so ago. Oliver decided that was his favourite kind of blue.

Felicity stepped forwards and as she did, the nervousness lifted from her features. It was replaced with a look of pure intent. Those hands of hers he was slowly getting obsessed with fisted in his shirt, pulling him off the wall just enough so their bodies were pressed together. His hands braced on the wall before him. His stomach curled in anticipation.

It was both torture and ecstasy to feel her body slowly slide up his as she stood on her toes to reach his lips. He couldn't help the breath of laughter he released as she tugged demandingly at his shirt so he could meet her half way.

This kiss wasn't as sweet and slow as their first. Her lips crashed on to his purposefully, her teeth already coaxing his bottom lip between them and sucking gently. His body jerked at that, suddenly in tune with what was happening. His hands left the wall behind him and slipped around her waist, pulling her up to him and he dove in to the kiss, fighting for dominance.

In the next few minutes that Oliver was allowed to nip and lick as much as he liked, he realised something. Felicity demanded control in everything in her life, but not this. He could tell by the tiny whimpers and gasps escaping from her lips that she revelled in having someone fight back and give as good as they got. She'd set the mood and then surrendered completely to him and what he wanted.

When they did part, he noticed that she immediately tucked her head under his chin and nuzzled in to he is neck. Felicity was shy. The only person who could possibly still feel shy after he'd kissed her like that was tucked under his arm with her hot breath caressing his neck. He didn't call her out on her tiny insecurity. He just concentrated on trying to wipe the massive shit-eating grin off his face before someone asked him if he was high.

-

  
"You have dirt on your forearms." Barry frowned, running his thumbs absently over the dirt and bruises on her soft flesh.

"Hmm." Caitlin hummed, smiling at his concern.

Barry caught her small smile and mirrored it. "What?"

Caitlin shrugged. "I just love it when you're like this. I have a feeling I'm not going to see you like this for a while after tonight." She said, stepping in to him and wrapping her arms around his torso. She sighed happily in to his neck as she fell victim to the musky scent of her boyfriend.

"How's that?" Barry murmured, his voice muffled by the fact he had his face buried in her hair. He'd never broken that habit.

"I think we're going to be okay from now on. No drama."

"Hmm. That sounds good." Barry whispered, before leaning back and kissing her on the forehead.

Caitlin smiled up at him affectionately. They'd barely been back at the mansion and she'd needed to be in his arms. She never tired of the feel of his arms banded round her waist, or the way he could never just hold her hand. There had to be the rhythmic movement of his thumb over her skin, caressing it as they walked.

She also was becoming very attached to the small amount of stubble Barry had grown recently. His stressing had caused him to forget about shaving. Caitlin made a mental note to ban him from shaving it all off. The scruff grazing against her forehead gave her a certain level of satisfaction. That, and she couldn't wait to rock the beard burn look that she was pretty sure her best friend was all too familiar with now. 

"Now about the dirt." Barry broke her trance. "Bath or shower?"

"As long as you join me I don't care." Caitlin said, her head resting on his chest as she wrapped her arms tighter around him.

"Cait, you have to let me go if you want me to start running the shower." Barry chuckled.

He loved clingy Caitlin. Even prying her off of him whilst he turned on the shower and changed the heat settings was enjoyable. It was even better when after she'd let him wash her, she'd wrapped her arms back around him and kissed his pec. She was adorable.

Sometimes, Barry appreciated these softer, more affectionate moments with Caitlin than he did anything else. There was just something so beautiful in the way time seemed to pause as they held each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh god, I am sorry it has taken so long! This story is my baby and I love it so much so there was no way I wanted to force myself to write something and potentially ruin it! I love these characters I've created so much and I love that you guys seem to really enjoy it too!
> 
> I'm partial to anything you guys want to see these characters encounter next. No promises but this is for your enjoyment as much as mine so I'm open to working with what you want to see them do.
> 
> Let me know what you think! x


	14. Did You Feel Guilt?

To say Felicity felt nervous was one thing. She was currently stood in Oliver's room shivering from the small shower they'd got caught in on their way back to his. Oliver had left to go and find towels and spare clothes.

She wasn't dripping wet, she was just damp. Her t-shirt hung funny but luckily it wasn't plastered to her stomach making her colder than she already was. She'd stripped down to her work skirt and top. 

The tights had come off as soon as she'd gotten inside. Wet tights were disgusting. Oliver had cleared his throat uncomfortably, but Felicity hadn't found anything sexual about her desperate tugging of the material down her legs, so she'd carried on oblivious. Oliver obviously had. He fidgeted a little and couldn't make eye contact for a good couple a minutes.

Some would find that weird, assuming he was embarrassed to consider it a turn on but Felicity knew better. She revelled in the idea that Oliver Queen felt sexually uncomfortable around her of all people. It made her feel powerful. She couldn't wait to experiment with that.

She didn't feel like sitting on the bed and risking making it just as damp as she was. Instead she found herself stood before the fireplace, watching the flames dance. 

The clearing of a throat pulled her from her trance and she turned to see Oliver holding out a towel and a large t shirt for her. Smiling, she pushed herself off the wall by the fire and headed over. She offered him a small, almost innocent smile before taking off and heading in to his bathroom. 

She had to admit she enjoyed the almost tortured look in his eyes when he'd noted the flicker of something more than just gratitude in her eyes before she'd left him standing there. However, Felicity knew it was dangerous to play games and tease men like that without expecting anything in return. She may not know Oliver extensively, but she knew his retaliation would be brutal. 

Time passed quickly, she turned the water up so hot it burned her skin, but she liked it that way. She wouldn't admit it, but she still felt dirty from earlier. Her hand felt tainted. The one she'd used to stab the count. She refused to feel the guilt though, she just held her hand under the hot spray and imagined her sins being washed off of her palms. 

She knew that someday, the discomfort she was feeling would become distant memory. She'd forget the way the Count's eyes had dulled after she'd attacked him. She could barely even remember the police barging in just as the other men had surged forwards to grab her. She'd thought for a second there she was gone. There had been brief moments as she and Oliver had walked down his never ending driveway, that she'd been taken aback by how surreal it felt to be beside him with only scratches and bruises to prove tonight had happened. 

She dressed quickly, inhaling the comforting smell of Oliver's clean t-shirt as it slipped over her frame. She dropped her work uniform in to the hamper and stepped back out in to the room. Oliver had changed in to worn sweats and a dark grey t-shirt. It looked good on him. 

Although they hadn't discussed if she was staying, there was a silent agreement she wasn't going anywhere. Not tonight. To be honest, she didn't want to be anywhere else. Her mum was out for the weekend so she didn't need to worry about her. Even if her mum was home, she thought it was worth staying at Oliver's tonight. She craved comfort, and she couldn't very well tell her mum what had happened. Felicity still didn't understand how she'd managed to get away from the police without them contacting anyone's family. 

She supposed it was because Barry and Oliver had stepped forward as guardians for Felicity and Caitlin, assuring them that they'd look after them and inform their families. It was smart and quick thinking on their parts. Felicity had been fully prepared to stutter out a lame and completely unconvincing excuse before they'd beaten her to it. She was thankful they had. 

She crawled in to the bed uncertainly, wondering if she should snuggle or not. Oliver absently lifted his arm as invitation and she couldn't help the smile on her face as she tucked herself under it. She didn't think he realised that it was already second nature for him to do things like that. 

"Do you want to talk about it?" Oliver murmured softly.

"Do you?" Felicity asked back. She didn't lift her head to look at him. 

"I could live without knowing if that's what you wanted." 

Felicity hummed. She liked that he wasn't pushing her. It might have seemed like he wanted to know every detail, especially when he yelled at her when he'd got to the scene. Now, he had calmed down enough to respect what she wanted out of this. 

"It was me who stabbed him. I'd been put on a chair. He was going to- he had a knife on my throat." Felicity swallowed as Oliver's whole body tensed beneath her own. "Caitlin distracted him and I reacted. In those moments I was just so angry. I didn't want to accept he'd made me a victim like he had. I wanted to make him feel as helpless as he did both me and Caitlin." 

"Did you feel guilt after you'd done it?" 

"No." Felicity frowned at how little she felt about it. Her hand flexed on impulse.

"Good." Oliver lifted her hand and kissed it gently. She hadn't known he'd noticed it twitch as she mentioned the stabbing.

"Would you?" Felicity asks, finally looking up at his intense features. His icy blue orbs found hers instantly, boring in to them, searching for something. She guessed he was trying to figure out if she was truly okay. He seemed to be able to read her pretty well that way. 

After he was content with the fact she was doing okay, he answered the question. "No. Not in that situation. He deserved what he got. I've always thought the punishment should fit the crime. A death for a death. A vertigo drugging for a vertigo drugging. It just makes sense." Oliver shrugged, focusing back in her hand and intertwining their fingers. 

"Thank you." Felicity whispered. Now he'd said that, she realised how much she needed to hear it. 

He looked back at her like she was crazy for thinking he wouldn't be there for her. "Of course." He kissed her forehead gently. "Go to sleep."

Felicity nodded before resting her head back on his chest and willing sleep to take her. 

-

Caitlin couldn't tell you how many times she'd lost herself with Barry in between her sheets. It wasn't about that. It was about the way it would always feel like first time. The same fire burned in her veins. It never simmered the more nights they spent together. In her mind, it never would. 

However, this time was different. They stood at the foot of the bed, looking in to each other's eyes. Even though they hadn't put on clothes after the shower, they only studied each other's faces. It was more intimate than anything she'd felt. There wasn't just a burning in her veins, there was also the feeling of everything lifting inside her. It felt like the peak of happiness and she was overcome with so much affection for the man before her and the relief of having him truly. 

Before, there had been something between them which was ugly and unsafe. She hated the times she'd broken down in bed, and had Barry comfort her and whisper reassurances in her ear. Now there was no such barrier between them, she was excited to finally stand before him with nothing but Barry on her mind. 

Barry broke her thoughts as he reached out and gently pushed a stray piece of hair behind her ear. Her eyes watered at how much love was packed in to that one movement. She stepped forward at that, her palms laying flat on his chest as she traced his shape with her hands. He allowed her to explore him with only her bare hands. She had the rest of the night to learn every intimate detail of his body. It hurt her it had taken so long to do this with him.

Her hands eventually came up over his shoulders and in to his hair as she finally tasted his mouth. His arms caressed her waist as she did, matching the slow but thorough pace of the kiss. Tonight was about taking their time. 

She broke away and rested her forehead on his for a few moments, closing her eyes to listen to their laboured breaths in the silence of the room. Her hands ran down his arms to find his and she stepped back to sit on the bed and move upwards. 

His chocolate irises glowed as he watched her every move, every muscle moving in her body, inviting him to follow. He did. He slowly crawled on the bed, allowing his body to hover over hers, but not touch it. Not yet.

Caitlin let him take the lead, never arching her body upwards to his no matter how desperate she was. He smiled at her softly before his dipped his head down and kissed her again. His body connected with hers, limb by limb as he slowly lowered himself to her. 

His lips left a trail of light kisses down her neck as he shifted on top of her allowed himself to slide down the length of her body. Her shoulder had been peppered with kisses before his mouth found her breast. She moaned as he automatically found the spot she loved the most, cherishing it with his tongue. 

He moved away from her breasts after he'd thoroughly gone over every once of them. Caitlin was close, she could feel the heat raging between her legs as she anticipated what was yet to come. 

"Spread your legs." His husky voice was erotic enough without everything else he was doing. Caitlin wasn't sure she'd survive it.

Of course, she was already obeying his command before he'd finished it. She loved his confidence. He knew she was on the brink and he was loving every minute of it. 

No sooner had she obeyed, his finger slipped inside her, testing her. She cried out in surprise, not expecting him to have been in such a hurry. She shouldn't have been as surprised when as soon as his finger had gone, his hot mouth was in it's place. She couldn't help the yelp. 

Barry chuckled at that, his hot breath hitting everything in just the right place and Caitlin threw her head back in ecstasy. "Fuck." She panted. She didn't want it to end but she could feel an orgasm building. 

His tongue flicked over her heat expertly and Caitlin had yet another shock when he even nipped a little. That was all it took for her undoing and she fell apart for the first time. Barry smirked at his victory and crawled back up the bed to plant a searing kiss on her lips, not allowing her to catch her breath before he took it away all over again. 

Barry's hips rolled against Caitlin's stating his urgency and she complied by wrapping her legs around him. They had yet to break from the kiss, but Caitlin didn't need to catch her breath anymore. She was rather enjoying the feel of his tongue against hers. 

There was a pause as both of them gasped when Barry rolled his hips again and entered her. She stared at him intently as he drew back and pushing in again. The pace was slow but thorough, drawing every ounce of pleasure from each thrust. 

They didn't kiss, their faces just hovered an inch apart. She could feel his hot breath tickle loose tendrils of her hair. His gaze never left hers as he continued, and it made it even more intimate.

The pace built up after that, her hips thrusting upward so he could fill her to the brim. She wanted all of him. Nothing less. Their foreheads now touched and their eyes closed as they focused only on the feeling of their bodies coming together as one. 

"Together?" Barry panted.

Caitlin just gripped his neck tighter, nodding. She didn't think she could talk. 

Caitlin fell apart for the second time that night, Barry for the first. But they did it together and if it was possible, they felt they'd bonded on an even deeper level tonight. 

Barry's warm hand trailed down her thigh, hooking under her knee as her untangled her legs from around him. It traced back over her thigh after, reaching up to graze over her ribs and breasts before resting on the side of her cheek. His body stretched over hers as his lips reached down to touch her forehead. 

Caitlin squeezed his shoulder affectionately and smiled up at him. Everything about this had been more than she'd hoped for and everything after would be as well. She had the rest of the night to show him how much she needed and craved him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I felt I couldn't leave the night there and wrote another chapter solely on the aftermath. Hope you enjoy, comment your thoughts, I love reading them and I do take everything in to consideration.
> 
> Prom was a popular theme and I have an idea for it so I'll be working on that next x


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